The Course of Nature
by thexz09
Summary: Suppressed feelings. They are bound to be expressed in the end. Getting released, what new gates would be opened? Would this be for the betterment of both? Feelings mix up while Kyoko faces more problems, and unexpected developments. Rated M for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**The Course of Nature**

**Thexz09**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Skip Beat! or any of the characters. :D**

**A/N: Hey there everyone! I'm kind of back in writing stories now, and I'm sorry for those who read **_**Time is Gold**_** – I don't think I'd be able to continue writing it for some time, because I forgot what I wanted to do with my story. Don't worry, though, because once I figure out what to do, I'll continue it. I'm sorry once again for those who are inconvenienced.**

**About the title of this story, I just want everyone to know that it has nothing to do with the band, "The Course of Nature". I just really thought that the title, in some way, is good for my story. **

**Have fun reading!**

**Chapter 1:**

On a very peaceful and quiet day in LME, there was a girl with short, auburn hair in a very eye-catching pink jumpsuit that was walking aimlessly in one of the hallways, seemingly deep in thought, unaware of her surroundings, and mumbling to herself. The people that are passing by try their best to avoid the young girl – scared that something might happen to them.

'_I don't know what to doooo! I need to make a decision by todaaay!'_ she thought, panicking. _'What's the right decision? Do I accept it or not? But what happens if I do? It might ruin more of my chances, but if I decline, I might not get the same chance again!…'_. Her thoughts were interrupted when Sawara-san spotted her and got her attention.

"Ah! Mogami-kun! It's a good thing I saw you out here." Sawara-san said in his usual business-like voice. "The president wants to see you in his office. I think it was about the job offer I told you about this morning."

"Oh Sawara- san. Good morning. Thank you for informing me." Kyoko said with a grateful smile and a bow.

"It's no problem Mogami-kun." He replied. "Also, I needed to tell you that you have a new LoveMe assignment. You'll become Tsuruga-san's manager for a while; some problems kind of showed up."

Kyoko looked confused for a moment, and then asked, "Why? Is there something wrong with Yashiro-san?"

"I think he has some sort of family emergency at the moment, so he won't be able to accompany Ren." Sawara-san seemed thoughtful for a moment then said, "Yashiro-san actually specifically asked for you to be his manager for the moment, and I think he said it was because you were the only one who can handle his eating habits." He chuckled.

Kyoko scowled, and then mumbled something along the lines of _"unable to take care of his body_" and _"convenient store onigiris"_.

"Well then, I think I'll take my leave now. You'll start being Tsuruga-san's temporary manager in two days until Yashiro-san comes back after three days. I don't think that you're schedule requires you to be on any set for those three days, so it won't interfere with your acting jobs."

Kyoko snapped back to attention and replied. "Hai! I'll do my best! Have a nice day!" Kyoko said, and then bowed respectfully, and she made her way towards the president's office. _'Ugh! I still don't know what to do! I wonder what the president's going to tell me. He'll probably ask me what my decision is. I really hope he'll help me, though…_' she sighed. _'Still, I don't think I should get my hopes up. This is something I should decide on my own'_. She greeted the receptionist and was that the president was expecting her. She opened the door to the president's office, and stepped inside.

What she saw wasn't really something unusual, especially since it concerns the president, but since it's Kyoko, she admired every design in the office. His office was decorated with swords and armors that looked like it was from the Meiji era. They were old-looking, but still looked very valuable and precious. The two chairs in front of the president's desk looked like the thrones in a kingdom made of mahogany wood, made comfy with red cushions. The gigantic windows were decorated with red curtains, lined with golden threads. The floor was covered with red, expensive carpets decorated in the middle with an intricate design that looked somewhat similar to an Islamic art. The president was wearing what looked like a ninja-getup. He was wearing an all black outfit and has a sword at his side. Half of his face is covered, with only his black eyes showing.

Kyoko sighed happily, _'I wish I can live in a place like this'_ then she giggled. The president noticed her presence and called out to her.

"Ah! Mogami-kun, please take a seat. I need to talk to you." He said in his usual booming and cheery voice. When Kyoko took a seat, he continued, "As you may have already been informed, you have been offered a female lead in one of Director Hirotaka's movie, _Stars From Afar_. It is a very big opportunity for you, since you have only started to become an actress three years ago, and though, you have already become very successful, Director Hirotaka is very well-known and can help you boost your popularity even more, and you might not only become popular here, but also in America." He smiled at his protégé, very proud of her accomplishment in the last three years.

After her Box-R project, she was offered a lead role in a movie called, Burning Dreams. She played a girl who lived two lives – one as a quiet, cute, cheerful, innocent, and responsible student, and the other as a hot, crazy, seductress with a thirst for revenge on all males. This movie became a hit, and the directors discovered Kyoko's versatility in portraying; she had a potential to not only be the malicious character in a story, but also as the cute and innocent one. They were also amazed on how drastic her appearance can change, so she was offered more and more roles, until she became very popular, although she was still not able to graduate from the LoveMe section, and she is still being managed by Sawara-san.

"Yes. I am well aware about that, but president, won't it have consequences in my career when I leave to go to America for four months? I mean, I only started to become popular, and won't that make them, kind of, forget about me? Also, what about Moko-san and the others? I will miss them so much." Kyoko asked, starting to feel a bit sad at the prospect of leaving her best friend.

"Well, everything comes with a price, Mogami-kun, but this is a great opportunity to widen your horizons and you can't just let it pass; I'm sure that Kotonami-san will understand your situation. Plus, you can still mail each other once in a while, and talk to each other on the phone. And about your career, I don't think your popularity will be damaged, considering that you'll be filming one of the most awaited movies of the year. Your fans will truly be happy for you, I'm sure." He said and smiled, _'She really has grown into such a mature and great actress.'_

Kyoko seemed thoughtful for a while, _'Hmm… I guess the president has a point. I can always send letters to Moko-san while I'm away, and it's not like I'm going away forever, right? I can come back after filming, and everything will be okay! The plot is good, too.'_ She smiled. _'Okay! I've made my decision!'_ With a determined expression she looked at the president and said, "Okay. I'll accept the offer! This is something that I should use to improve my acting skills".

Already expecting this to be her answer, the president smiled at her brightly and said "Wonderful, Mogami-kun! I'll inform Director Hirotaka and Sawara-san right away. You can go back to your work now. You'll leave in two and a half months. Have a nice day!"

"Have a nice day as well. Goodbye." She bowed and took her leave. _'Plus I'm sure Otou-san will be disappointed in me if I reject this offer. As well as Tsuruga-san...'_ Then it hit her. '_Wait! What about Tsuruga-san? I guess I can still call him and send him letters, but what if it bothers him?'_ She then had a depressed aura around her. _'I wonder if it's alright with him. I guess I can ask him the next time I see him.'_ With that decision in mind, she headed for the LoveMe room to talk to Moko-san about her new role.

**Meanwhile…**

'_Hmmm… I wonder if Sawara-san already told her. I hope she's not busy.'_ Yashiro-san's phone suddenly vibrated, so he wore his latex gloves, and opened his phone. He grinned, _'Speaking of the devil'_

"Moshi moshi? Sawara-san?"

"Yashiro-san. I've just informed Mogami-kun of the request and I have already checked her schedule, so she'll be able to accept," Sawara-san replied.

Yashiro grinned wider. "Oh. Good. At least now I can be assured about Ren's health." '_And love life,_' he mentally added. "Thank you, Sawara-san."

"No problem." Then they hung up.

Yashiro started to laugh girlishly and smiled like an idiot. He was already visualizing the outcome of this new matchmaking plan. _'I'm sure their relationship will improve this time! But just in case, I have another plan up my sleeve.'_ He smiled wider.

"And CUT! Good job, everyone! Let's take a twenty-minute break, everyone!" the director yelled, happy with the results of today's filming. _'heh. Time to inform Ren… '_

Ren went to a chair near his manager and reached for the water bottle. He drank the water and was about to go to his dressing room and change when Yashiro suddenly called him.

"Ren!"

He turned around. "What is it, Yashiro-san?" he asked, with an inquiring look.

'_He's definitely going to like this news! I know it! –insert fan girl laugh here – he is surely going to thank me for this'_. He smiled inwardly and tried to compose his face. "I'm going to be gone, two days from now. I have to take care of something at home. It's kind of an emergency. Don't worry, I've sent someone to look over you for those three days that I'm gone," he paused, trying to calm himself down when his fan-girl instincts started to kick in.

"Oh? It's not really necessary to send someone, Yashiro-san; I can take care of myself. You can go ahead and ta-".

"Kyoko-chan's going to be my replacement for a while". Yashiro interrupted, staring intently at Ren, gauging for his reaction. He could see different emotions pass through Ren's eyes: shock, longing, a hint of annoyance and anger, and happiness. _'Ha! I knew he'd be happy!'_ If he wasn't paying a lot of attention he would've missed the cracks in his mask. He grinned.

Ren inwardly sighed, _'I should've known it would turn out like this'_. He smiled his gentlemanly smile at Yashiro and said, "Yashiro-san, I don't think it will be necessary. On top of that, I think Mogami-san is quite busy nowadays, with her being very popular now. I doubt she'll have time for the request. I don't want to inconvenience her." _'Although I'd love to have her company'_ he mentally added.

Yashiro flinched when he saw the gentlemanly smile, but continued to hold his ground. _'I know you want to, Ren. I just saw you slip,' _he grinned inwardly. "Kyoko-chan won't be busy for those three days. I was already informed by Sawara-san. She already accepted the request. I don't think it will bother her at all," he paused, "but seeing as you don't want her to be your temporary manager, you should be the one to tell her." He waited for Ren to reply, and smiled triumphantly when he just sighed and walked away.

'_Oh well, I might as well be thankful to Yashiro. I haven't been seeing her much nowadays.'_ Ren thought with a smile as he proceeded to go to his dressing room. _'I should just hope that my control would stay intact.'_

**Back at LME…**

"… and so Moko-san, I'm going to leave for four months to go to America. I'm really going to miss yooouu!" Kyoko said with tears in her eyes and tried to embrace Moko, but she avoided it just in time.

"Mo! We can always call each other! This is a great opportunity for you! Don't waste it! It's a good thing you accepted the offer. I would've gotten mad if you rejected an offer like that." She said with a bit of annoyance.

Kyoko looked at her friend, and asked, a bit sad, "Aren't you going to miss me, Moko-san?"

"Mo! Why would I-" then she stopped herself as she saw the tears that are now threatening to escape the young actress' eyes. She sighed, '_Ugh! Why do I have to put up with this?'_. She turned her head in the other direction and blushed as she said, "Who in the world would not miss her best friend?".

When Kyoko heard what her friend said, she suddenly brightened up and hugged Kanae. And, for once, her best friend didn't try to push her away…

**Hmm… This time I won't make any promises, since I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. Still, I would try to write more on this story.**

**Please review! **

**Constructive criticisms are very welcome! :D**

-have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	2. Chapter 2

**The Course of Nature**

**Thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Before I forget to mention… Kyoko is 18 years old and Ren is 22 years old in this fanfic. Here's the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter 2:**

Kyoko was now in the Daruma-ya shop serving the last guests for the night. There were a lot of customers for the past few days, since people found out where Kyoko was working as a part-timer. Thinking that this was her fault, Kyoko started to help as much as possible. As a result for seeing her more frequently, though, the number of customers once again increased. She tried to apologize to the couple for the trouble she's causing, but the okami-san replied with "There's no need to be sorry, Kyoko-chan. In fact, we should than you; the business is improving because of you." Kyoko felt so lucky to be treated so nicely by the taisho and okami-san.

Already finished with serving the guests, she went to the kitchen and started to wash the dishes. '_Hmm… I wonder if I'd be able to get along with my co-stars. As far as I know, although there would still be some Japanese actors and actresses I'm going to be starring with a lot of well-known foreigners. It's a good thing I was able to learn English pretty well in school.'_ She smiled as she remembered something. _'I hope I'd be able to visit Tou-san and his wife. I really miss him so much, and I hope that he'll be very proud of me. I'd like to stay with him for a few days and cook meals for him. I'm sure he won't be able to refuse it' _she laughed_. 'I'm sure his eating habits are still the same'_

When she finished washing the dishes, she said good night to the couple taking care of her, went upstairs in her bedroom, took a bath, and looked for something in her bag. Finding the first script for _Stars From Afar_, she started to get familiar with her character, Nina.

Nina was a very stoic person when it comes to her classmates and friends. Even though she was very beautiful, smart and rich, she always tries to isolate herself from others. She is trying to keep her identity as hidden as possible. At home, she would lock herself in her room most of the time, though she is still partially open to her parents and brothers. Though she talks to her family, they still suspect that Nina is hiding something. She always seemed weird to other people, since she would always look as if she was talking to herself, and then she would suddenly disappear in the middle of the class., and would come back with cuts and bruises. When her teachers ask about it, she'll just say that she tripped or fell in the stairs. One time, though, during a school festival, one male student noticed a person in the shadows and noticed that it was Nina. Curious on what she was doing, he followed her, and was able to discover Nina's secret…

Kyoko was interrupted in her analysis of her character by a phone ringing. She went to her bag and searched for her phone. She flipped it open and placed it on her ear.

"moshi moshi?" Kyoko answered.

"Mogami-san?"

"Tsuruga-san! Good evening!" Kyoko chirped happily. "What is it that you called me for?"

"Good evening, Mogami-san. I just wanted to ask you if you wanted a lift tomorrow. You mentioned to me some time ago that you're filming a drama in LRS, and since I'm also heading there, I wondered if you'd like to get a ride with me." Ren asked.

"Oh. Thank you, Tsuruga-san, but I wouldn't want to impose on you."

"It's alright Mogami-san. Besides, I was the one who offered, right?"

Kyoko seemed to think about it for a while, and then answered."Alright, Tsuruga-san. Thank you for the offer."

Ren smiled."Okay. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 9 in the morning. Good night, Mogami-san."

"Good night, Tsuruga-san". Kyoko smiled, and prepared to go to sleep. Noticing her overly happy demeanor, her last thought before going to sleep was, _'Hmm… I wonder what Tsuruga-san said or did that suddenly made me this happy'_.

**Next Day…**

Kyoko woke up and got ready; she took a bath, ate breakfast, brushed her teeth, and prepared her things. When she was done preparing, she said goodbye to the owners of the shop, and decided to wait outside for Ren. She took a deep breath and smiled. _'It's such a wonderful day!'_

When Ren's car arrived, Kyoko greeted Ren and Yashiro with a smile. "Good morning, Tsuruga-san, Yahiro-san."

Both greeted her and Kyoko got inside the car. "Thank you for giving me a ride today, Tsuruga-san. I really appreciate it" then she flashed him a grateful smile.

Ren returned this with his genuine smile and said, "It's no problem, Mogami-san".

"Oh, right, Kyoko-chan. You're going to be Ren's temporary manager starting tomorrow, right?" Yashiro asked, with a mischievous glint in his eyes that earned him a warning look from Ren.

"Yes. Why, is there a problem?" Kyoko asked, a bit curious as to why Yashiro was bringing up this topic.

"Well, you see Kyoko-chan, since Ren's schedule is going to be packed while I'm gone, he's going to finish very late, and I'm really worried that he might decide to just skip his meal. I hope that you'd be able to make sure he eats dinner by cooking for him for those three days. That is, if you don't mind?" Yashiro asked, with an expectant expression.

'_What the heck is Yashiro doing?'_ Ren thought, while keeping a composed face. _'It's not that I don't like it, but I'm kind of not sure if I'll be able to control myself if she stays with me at work and at home. He's throwing Kyoko into a den of the lions.'_ He sighed inwardly.

"Of course I don't mind, Yashiro-san, and even if you didn't tell me, I would've made sure to make him eat anyway." Kyoko had a glint to her eyes this time. "And make sure he eats nutritious foods". Ren gulped, and Yashiro smiled.

When they arrived at their destination, Kyoko said farewell to both Yashiro and Ren and they went opposite directions.

Yashiro smirked at Ren. "Ren, isn't it great? You get to spend five days with Kyoko-chan! She'll even make you dinner!" He said, overly pleased with himself.

"Of course I'm grateful, after all Kyoko is a popular actress now, so it's really rare to see my _**kouhai **_nowadays," he said, stressing the word, _**kouhai**_.

Yashiro sighed and said, "You never change, Ren"

Ren replied with a gentlemanly smile. "What are you talking about, Yashiro-san?"

He sighed again."Nothing. It's nothing".

**

* * *

**

_A female in her 20s was sitting in her mahogany desk, drinking tea, and tried to look for some papers. Her long, brown hair shone in the well-lit room, and her outfit seemed to shout 'professional.' She wore glasses and she wore a bloody, red lipstick. She found the file that she was looking for and her eyes glimmered dangerously. "Perfect." She whispered, and she grinned evilly._

_Someone knocked on the door to her office, and brought her out of her thoughts. She immediately hid the file in one of her drawers, composed her face into an expressionless one called out to the person at the door, "Come in," and scribbled some words on the other papers on her desk._

_A man in a black suit, looking formal and descent, opened the door and got inside of the office. His face was expressionless. He sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk, and remained silent until the woman looked up from her work._

_Her expression changed from impassive to recognition, and a small smile lit up her face. "Good day, Morikawa-san."_

_The man replied with a smile, in a gruff voice, "Good day to you, too, Aiko-san."_

"_Now. Let's get down to business. Were you able to take care of what I asked from you?"_

_The man looked at Aiko straight in the eyes, smirked, and said, "Yes. Everything is already prepared, Aiko-san. The only thing missing is the file we asked Kaneko-san to retrieve."_

_Aiko grinned and said, "Good. Very good." She paused, and seemed thoughtful for a while, before she continues. "Don't worry, the file is safely with me. Kaneko gave it to me two days ago."_

"_Well, then everything is set. Am I right?" Aiko nodded. Morikawa smiled._

_Aiko smirked, feeling more and more confident about her plan."The only thing missing is the rat…. So let the games begin!"_

"Cut! Good job everyone. Now, please get ready for scene 15," Director Ichiro called out to the cast and crew. Everyone started to scuffle around and get ready for the preparations. Kyoko snapped back from her Aiko character, and left the stage.

She sat in a corner, and continued to watch the people working and starting the scene, since she won't appear in it. At first, she was paying attention to the scene they're acting, but as she continued to watch, she heard the word "tentekomai," and she giggled uncontrollably. After her giggle fit, she saw people looking at her as if she was crazy, and she blushed. _'Tsuruga-san. I haven't been able to talk to him about his problems, including script problems – insert giggle here – ever since I've stopped being Bo'_

After Kyoko's movie, Burning Dreams, was shown and she was able to receive lots of new offers, she was forced to drop being the chicken mascot in the variety show. She felt really sad to leave the Ishibashi onii-sans, especially Ren. Before she left permanently, though, she made sure to find Ren and tell him that he won't be able to talk to Bo anymore, and told him, "I have some things to fix back at home, Tsuruga-kun, so remember that the next time you see the chicken mascot, it would be a different person inside. Don't worry, though, I'll take your secrets with me till the day I die. *salute*" Ren felt a bit sad that his feathery friend would leave, but he masked it with his usual façade and bid his goodbye.

'_I doubt he'd get any advice from me now, seeing as I'm just a kouhai to him, and a less talented actress. Still, I really want him to rely on me sometimes... Wait. Where did that thought come from? I WANT Tsuruga-san to rely on me? Just like what that bastard did to me; rely on me? Since when?' _she started to panic_. 'No. No. No. That's not it. It's not like that. I'm just very worried as a kouhai. Yeah. That's it. I just want to repay him, since he helped me with my problems. Yup, that's right.' _She sighed, relieved_. 'I really should stop thinking about Tsuruga-san now, before I lose my reasonable side (unreasonable side=in love).'_

As if the director read her mind, Kyoko was once again called to the set to start with her scene.

**Next day…**

Kyoko watched as the scene before her unfolds, and she was once again captivated by the tall actor's skills. Her eyes sparkled, and her eyes were fixed on the scene. '_Wow! Tsuruga-san is a really great actor. He was able to maneuver the actress' expressions easily. I wonder when I can catch up to him.'_ Then she took on a wistful expression. _'I remember when I was once an actress than he can control like a puppet – I really didn't like it,' _then she became thoughtful_. 'It's really weird. I really hated him before, but now he'll be one of the people that I'll miss the most when I go to America. I guess our relationship improved a lot, and I was able to like hi – ...'_ then she realized what she just thought and stopped. _'I mean, as a sempai. I mean, who wouldn't like him? He's liked by Yashiro-san, Maria, and many more. Plus, he's handsome, tall, a god in acting, smells good, muscular, a great personality… '_ she stopped herself once again, and glared at the floor. _'Where are these thoughts coming from? I didn't think of these before! Gah' _she started to hit her head_. 'It's probably the effect of being around too much of his fans.'_ She sighed.

When she noticed that Ren already finished changing to his street clothes, and is coming her way, she quickly composed herself and faced Ren. "Good job, Tsuruga-san!"she said with a smile.

Ren smiled at her. "Thank you, Mogami-san. Shall we go get some lunch now?"

"Of course! We can't have you missing meals." Then they started to walk towards Ren's car. " I just hope that Yashiro-san will be able to make you eat when I'm in America" she mumbled and sighed, then realizing that Ren stopped walking, she turned around, and saw that Ren was shocked with her bit of news.

"America? What are you talking about, Mogami-san?" Ren asked with his gentlemanly smile.

'_Why is he mad? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?...'_ then she realized. _'Oh, so it was because of that'_. "U-uhm… I-I'm s-sorry Ts-Tsuruga-san from k-keeping it from you, b-but I was p-planning to t-talk about it d-during lunch, i-if you d-don't m-mind?" she asked, feeling a little scared when Ren's smile intensified.

Ren continued to smile, and said "Alright then, Mogami-san. I'll gladly listen to you during lunch". '_I can't believe she kept this from me.'_ He sighed. _'Well, I guess it can't be helped. At least, she's willing to talk about it to me now. What was that about America?.'_ Another sigh. _'She's going to leave?_'

They walked to his car in silence, occupied by their own thoughts and went to a nearby restaurant.

* * *

**Thank you for reading this chapter! Again, I can't promise the next time I can update. :D**

**Please review!**

**-Have a nice day-**

**-thexz09-**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of the characters.**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 3:**

Ren put on his cap and sunglasses and they proceeded inside. The restaurant was simple, just a few table and chairs, like the average kind of restaurant, and only a few people were eating, mostly high school students. They went to the corner of the restaurant, and a waitress tried to get their orders, or more specifically, tried to get Ren's order. She made not too subtle hints on flirting, but was completely ignored by the actor, which elicited some quiet giggles from Kyoko. When Ren raised an eyebrow in question, she just shook her head.

After they finished their orders, and the disappointed waitress walked away, Ren looked at Kyoko expectantly and said, "Well, Mogami-san? What was it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked, trying not to sound angry or annoyed.

Kyoko, though, sensed his annoyance and cowered a bit in her seat. "Um, you see, I was offered a lead in Director Hirotaka's new movie, Stars From Afar, which will be filmed in America for four months. I actually hesitated to accept it, but the president was able to give me a reasonable explanation on why I should go, so I decided to accept the offer. He said that it could improve my career as an actress, and that it can broaden my horizons," she said, all in one breath. "Uhm, as you may know, Director Hirotaka is Director Ogata's father and is a very well-known director, so this is all too good to pass. I'm just a newbie actress; this is already an honor for me."

"When?" he asked.

Kyoko looked up, "Huh?"

"When will you be leaving?" he elaborated.

"Um, in about two and a half months" she answered

"How long will you stay there?"

"Er, four months"

"What's the genre of the movie?"

"Kind of like an action movie, with a hint of romance," Kyoko replied, uncertain on where this is going.

"Are there som –," Ren stopped himself. Kyoko looked at him questioningly. He cleared his throat and said, "Never mind. It was nothing." _'I wonder if there are kissing scenes. Though I really want to know, I won't be able to ask without it seeming awkward,'_ he inwardly sighed.

"Uhm… A-ano Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said after a few minutes of comfortable silence. It was almost a whisper, but was nonetheless heard by Ren. He saw her blushing, and looking down at the table.

Curious on why she was acting that way, wanted her to continue what she was saying, "Yes?"

"U-uhm… I was just w-wondering," she gulped, and forced herself to look at Ren in the eyes. "If it's not a bother, that is."

"It's alright Mogami-san. What is it?" Ren asked, starting to get more and more curious of the cause of her blushing face. _'Hmm… Her blushing face is also very cute'_

"C-can" she took a deep breath. "canicallyouorwr itetoyouwhileim inamerica?"

Ren was now confused. "Pardon?"

"Can I call you or write to you while I'm in America?" she finally said, and immediately hid her face from Ren by looking down at the table again, her blush reaching her ears.

Ren looked at her, shocked, eyes wide, on what she said. _'Well… That… was unexpected. I never thought she'd be the one to tell me to keep in contact. I was already thinking of ways on how to tell her to write to me… as a kouhai.'_ His gaze softened and he smiled his heavenly smile at Kyoko.

When Kyoko noticed that Ren wasn't replying, she said, "Tsu-Tsuruga-san?" she looked up, and saw his heavenly smile. Her demons cringed _**'Aaaaahhh! Too bright!'**_. She looked down again.

Ren used his index finger to lift her chin up and stared straight into her eyes. "Of course, Mogami-san. It wouldn't bother me at all. I'd be willing to call or write to you." He smiled.

Kyoko processed this information, and then she smiled a shy smile, with a faint pink still tinting her cheeks.

They were interrupted when the waitress from before arrived with their food. Kyoko suddenly turned very cheerful, since she ordered her favorite food, Hamburger steak. Ren watched her, trying not to laugh at her antics. For the rest of the meal, they talked about their jobs, and new offers.

After they paid for the meal, they left the restaurant to go to Ren's next job at a modeling shoot.

* * *

People were bustling in the set. They were carrying props, lights, costumes, and other necessities for the shoot. The photographer was fiddling with his camera, when he saw the man he was waiting for, walk into the set. "Ah! Tsuruga-san, I'm glad you made it." They shook hands.

"Of course, Tamura-san," Ren replied and smiled.

The man was average in height and looked very outgoing and friendly. He was a bit chubby, and the side of his eyes would crinkle when he smiles. He has jet black hair, and striking, blue eyes. He looked like he was already in his 40s more or less. His attire was simple and decent – shirt, jeans and rubber shoes, but still managed to look professional. He was holding his camera, and was probably trying to fix something.

The photographer then noticed Kyoko. "Oh. Who might this be?"

Kyoko bowed. "I'm Mogami Kyoko, sir. I am an actress in the same agency as Tsuruga-san, and I will be his temporary manager for a few days"

"Mogami… Mogami… Mogami Kyoko… Where have I heard that before?" he said, talking to himself, deep in thought. "Oh! I remember now. You're the one who played Natsu in Box-R." he smiled. "I must say, I am very happy to meet you in person, Mogami-san, though I didn't recognize you, since you really look and act differently from your characters. I heard about you and I admire your skills."

Kyoko blushed at the compliment, and then replied with a quiet "Arigatou."

The photographer turned his attention to Ren. "Tsuruga-san I believe your clothes are already in your dressing room. Please go ahead and prepare for the modeling shoot. We're going to start in a few minutes."

Ren nodded and walked towards his dressing room. When he came out, he was wearing a black and sleek top that seemed to look like a jacket. It had a pocket at the upper right, but had no buttons nor zippers and opens up in the middle of the chest, showing off his well-toned and muscular form. His pants were a dark grey with black pockets in front and at the back, and had been ripped artfully. His shoes were black rubber shoes that had shoelaces. His hair was a bit disarrayed, and he wore sunglasses. He gave off the feeling of being cool.

People stared at him in awe. For the female in the room, he looked hot, sexy, and very, very desirable. Some of the men, on the other hand, looked at him with envy in their eyes, and a bit of annoyance, since they can't have the women staring at them like they were a Greek Adonis, like what they do to Tsuruga Ren.

Kyoko sighed, _'No wonder he was the number one most handsome and desirable man in Japan. Look at how the females, and even some men, are drooling! Although, I have to admit, not all men can wear that AND look good.'_

The photographer called the attention of the staff and they started the photo shoot.

For the first pose, Ren leaned on the wall that was made of overused and dirty bricks. The upper half of his body leaning on it, and his legs were spread wide. One of his hands held the opening of his top, exposing more of his muscles. He removed his sunglasses for this pose and showed his half-lidded eyes that are looking towards the camera.

"Okay, Tsuruga-san, just tilt your head a little bit…. There! Good!" the photographer said while taking pictures.

In his next pose, he stood upright with a background of an abandoned alleyway at night with dimly lit streets. He was placed directly under one post so his whole body was illuminated. His feet are separated by more or less a meter, and this time he wore his sunglasses. Both of his hands are tucked in his front pockets, and he smirked at the camera.

The photographer smiled while taking pictures and mumbled, "I really like working with this guy; he's such a natural."

The third pose required him to sit on a wooden bench, with him leaning on his back and him giving off the impression that he was tired. The setting this time was a bustling street in Tokyo.

Kyoko watched all of these with attentiveness and interest. '_It was as if Tsuruga-san was a different person throughout the shoot. It's like it was a new character. Hmmm.. could it be? That Tsuruga-san is using his acting skills in modeling, too?... Yes, that's probably it. That probably explains the different aura that he exudes when he's posing.'_ Kyoko smiled at this, once again impressed with her esteemed sempai.

The photo shoot continued flawlessly, and with great results. The photographer was happy with his work, and was very happy to have worked with Ren. Everyone in the set was very impressed as well, and they were able to finish ahead of time. "Okay. I guess those are all the shots that we'll need. Thank you for the hard work!" the photographer finally said.

Ren went to his dressing to change back into his original clothes, and went to look for Kyoko. _'I hope Kyoko wasn't bored during the shoot.'_ He spotted her talking with Tamura-san, the photographer. He approached them, and heard the director's last few words.

"… my daughter really likes your movie, as well as my wife."

"Mogami-san? Are you ready to go?" he called out.

She turned to face him with her usual smile. "Hai, Tsuruga-san. I was just talking with Tamura-san."

"ah, Tsuruga-san. Good job today. I really enjoyed working with you. I hope that we can work with each other again in the future," the photographer said and smiled.

Ren returned his smile with one of his own. "It's my pleasure Tamura-san. I also hope I can work in the future. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to get going." He and Kyoko paid their respects to the director and the others, and moved on to Ren's next job.

* * *

Finishing all of Ren's appointments and shoots for the day, they arrived in his apartment at around 7:30 pm. They were able to finish the work today earlier than planned. Kyoko, carrying the groceries, went straight to the kitchen, and prepared for the stuff needed to make Hayashi Raisu (Japanese style hashed beef stew). Ren followed her there and helped her unpack the ingredients.

After unpacking, Kyoko started to slice the beef. "Is there anything that I can help with?" Ren asked, standing near the kitchen counter, where Kyoko was working.

Kyoko looked up from what she was doing and smiled."Um, no. It's alright Tsuruga-san. I wouldn't want to bother you. You can go ahead and watch TV," she said, and continued to slice the beef.

"It's no trouble, Mogami-san. It's the least I could do; you're already cooking for me," Ren reached for another knife and started to help in cutting the beef. Kyoko watched him working. He failed miserably – the slices were too big. Ren held the beef in one hand and the knife with the other. He looked like he's scared that he might accidentally slice his finger or something.

Kyoko laughed at Ren's flustered and a bit embarrassed expression, took the knife from him, and finished slicing the last pieces of meat. "Really, Tsuruga-san." She giggled. "I insist. I don't think you should hold a knife. For your sake. You might get hurt." She smiled at him, walked to the cupboards and tried to reach for the pan and pot.

Ren, still looking a bit embarrassed from what he failed to do, walked towards the cupboards and reached for the pots and pans. "I also insist, Mogami-san. And I can always help with things that don't require a knife."

After acquiring the equipment she needed, she placed the frying pan on top of the stove and placed some butter. While she sautéed the beef, she looked at Ren and grinned. "Yup. I guess you're right. You can help by watching TV in the living room, and it doesn't require a knife. At all." she giggled.

He glanced at the clock. There was now a mischievous glint in Ren's eyes. _'So, she wants to do it this way, huh.' _"Alright. Besides, I think it's already time for your recent drama to air. I guess I'll just watch that." He grinned.

Kyoko's eyes grew as big as saucers, and the mirth in her eyes disappeared, replaced by one of horror. "Noooooo!" Ren smiled wider. "You can't do that, Tsuruga-san! It's soo embarrassing!" Kyoko began to shake her head violently. "I'll let you help! I'll let you help!" She then looked left and right, trying to find something for Ren to do. "Um… You can prepare the rice! Yes, that's it!" she looked at Ren. "Tsuruga-san, please prepare the rice! You know how, right?" she looked hopeful and tense.

Ren smiled at her, trying to hold in his laughter. _'Heh. Success.'_ "Ok. Don't worry. I know how to prepare the rice."

Kyoko sighed, relieved. _'Whew! The drama they're airing now is where I played a character that wore skimpy clothing. I wouldn't want Tsuruga-san to see me like that. It's toooo embarrassing!'_ Kyoko blushed a bit, and set aside the beef.

After finishing preparing the meal with the rice that Ren cooked, they started to eat.

"Mmmm… This is pretty good, Mogami-san" Ren smiled at Kyoko, once again amazed by her cooking prowess.

Kyoko blushed a bit. "Arigatou. You're not so bad yourself, Tsuruga-san." She laughed.

Ren also laughed a bit. "Speaking of that, would you mind teaching me how to cook, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko looked up, surprised at the request. "So that I can cook for myself sometimes," Ren added. _'And spend more time with you'_.

"Oh. Okay then. I'd gladly teach you, Tsuruga-san." She smiled beatifically at him. "We can start your cooking lessons tomorrow."

They finished their meal in silence, and afterwards, cleaned up and washed the dishes (Ren helped with drying the plates). Ren offered to drive Kyoko home, saying that it's already too late to go home by herself. Kyoko reluctantly accepted and arrived at the Daruma-ya at around 9.

"Thank you for driving me home, Tsuruga-san." Kyoko bowed and smiled at her generous sempai.

"It's no problem. Thank you for the wonderful meal, as well, Mogami-san." He smiled at her. "I'll get going then. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 8 in the morning. Good night."

"Hai. Good night, Tsuruga-san." She bowed once more, and went inside as Ren drove to his apartment.

* * *

"Haaah! I feel so tired!" Kyoko said, lying on her bed. _'I forgot that being Tsuruga-san's manager was this tiring. It's a good thing we finished early today, since I had to cook him dinner.'_ She smiled. _'Tsuruga-san can be cute sometimes, and he looked really cute when he was cutting up that meat._' She giggled.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! :D**

**Thank you as well to the people who reviewed, "favorite-ed", and alerted. Thanks very,very much! **

**Reviews give me the energy to write more on this story.. :D  
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**So.. Please continue to review! :)  
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-Have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	4. Chapter 4

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of the characters.**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 4:**

"okay. First things first. We need to stop by the grocery store to pick up some ingredients to make Kare Raisu, and I'm guessing we'll need extra ingredients so you can practice more slicing and chopping, Tsuruga-san." Kyoko giggled and smiled at Ren.

Ren wore his "disguise" of a cap and sunglasses, and followed Kyoko inside the store. Kyoko started to pick up some vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, and others. Ren watched, not knowing what to do, and just followed Kyoko's lead. They next went to the Meat section and Kyoko selected some beef, pork, and chicken and tried to smell it. Ren noticed that she put back some meat and got another one.

"Mogami-san, why did you put that one back?" Ren pointed to the meat she returned.

She looked up at Ren, "Oh. Well, it's because it doesn't smell good – it might have been bad meat, for all we know, so it's better to be safe." She smiled.

Ren smiled back. "Oh. I see." _'Wow. She knows her way around here. When I get some meat, which I rarely do, I just pick 'em up and I won't even bother to smell it.'_

They continued to shop for ingredients like the curry powder, white pepper, bay leaves, and others. Then, they proceeded to the cashier to pay for the ingredients. The line was a bit long, so they had to wait a bit for their turn to come. Ren tried his best to remain inconspicuous, but, of course, because of his height and well-shaped body, he was easily noticed by people around him, and before long, he got recognized.

"TSURUGA REN?" one of the females shouted when she took a peek under Ren's cap. All the females in the store turned to his direction, and started to crowd to reach Ren. With the fans' attention to them, the male customers began to recognize Kyoko as well and added to the crowd, shouting, "MOGAMI KYOKO!" When Kyoko noticed the trouble that's starting to build up, she panicked, and began to help the cashier, who became a bit dazed when Ren smiled at her, punch in the prices of the food. She paid quickly, took the groceries, grabbed Ren, and ran to the car. They quickly got inside, and drove to the apartment, effectively losing the running fans.

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. "Next time, Tsuruga-san, you stay in the car, and I'll buy the groceries."

Ren took a sideways glance at her. "It wasn't only me the people were screaming for, Mogami-san. You're also already popular nowadays, so you should be careful as well."

Kyoko looked at him and said, "But you were the one who attracted their attention, Tsuruga-san," with big, innocent eyes.

Ren sighed, _'Doesn't she know the effect those eyes are having on me?' _and tried to keep his control, trying his best to not stop the car, and kiss the innocent girl sitting beside him with as much passion as he can express.

Soon enough, they reached Ren's apartment. Both of them carried the grocery bags, and went to the elevator and pressed the floor of the apartment. They reached the floor, Ren opened the door with his keys, and both of them immediately went to the kitchen. They started to unpack the things they bought and placed them on the counter.

**Meanwhile…**

"YUKIHITO!" called a woman happily, and was in her 50s. She was lounging on the couch in the living room, watching TV and eating popcorn, when she suddenly saw her son walk into the room. One of her feet is in a cast, and her forehead was all bandaged up.

Yashiro went to her and gave her a big hug. "Kaa-san? Are you alright? I heard you fell down the stairs," Yashiro said, his tone worried, and he eyed his mother carefully.

"I'm alright. I just have a fractured bone and a couple of scratches. Nothing big. I'm still as healthy as a horse, you know." She said and tried to show the very little muscles in her arms, to her son.

Yashiro sighed, and smiled at his mom. "At least you're still energetic" he laughed.

"Now, Yukihito, when can I get my grandchildren?" his mom asked, with an expectant face.

Yashiro laughed awkwardly and looked around the room, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. "Er, now, now, kaa-san, you shouldn't think about that right now. Try to think of yourself first." He inwardly sighed, _'If only Ren can manage his own love life, I wouldn't have had to pay so much attention to him and Kyoko, and tried to find myself a girlfriend. But he just HAD to be a loser in love, who can't even make a move to the love of his life.'_

"Yukihito…" his mother started with a dangerous tone. _'Uh-oh… here comes the lecture.'_ Yashiro took on a bit of a horrified expression. _'This must be some kind of payback for trying to set up Ren and Kyoko.'_

**Back at Ren's apartment… **

"No! Not like that, Tsuruga-san! Try again!" Kyoko showed her sempai how to properly cut the potatoes in quarters, so Ren, once again, tried to slice potatoes using the kitchen knife.

"Is it supposed to be like this?" Ren asked, trying to imitate the way Kyoko held the knife.

Kyoko adjusted his grip a bit and smiled. "There. That should do it. Try not to grip the knife too hard, Tsuruga-san, but also not too loose. Now, try to push downwards. There you go." Kyoko once again smiled at her sempai, as he was able to learn how to cut a potato (A/N: hahaha…)

Ren sighed. _'No wonder I never tried to cook before. I'm seriously not good at this.'_ "Okay. What's next, Mogami-san?"

"Now, cut both of them in half again." Kyoko watched as Ren carefully tried to cut the potato again. Satisfied with the result, she gave him more potatoes to slice. "You should try to practice more. At least now you know how to cut and peel potatoes." She smiled proudly, and Ren smiled back.

After slicing all the potatoes, Kyoko gave him the meat. "This time, try to slice the meat in cubes." She got her own knife and helped as well. Ren was improving a lot and was able to cut 1/5 of the amount of meat Kyoko sliced. "I think we're done with the slicing Tsuruga-san. Why don't you try to cook with the stove and pan, now?"

Ren gulped. _'If slicing was hard enough for me, I wonder how I'll do with the real cooking'._ He got the saucepan and placed it on top of the stove and placed the butter on medium-heat.

"Add the onions now, Tsuruga-san, and you can add a little salt" Kyoko said from beside him, watching him carefully, since something might go wrong. Ren obeyed silently. "I guess that's do. Next, you sear the beef on a separate saucepan on all the sides." Ren, once again obeyed.

'Hmm… I guess it wasn;t as hard as I thought.' Ren though with a smile.

"Wow. You're a natural at this, sempai," Kyoko beamed at Ren."Now add the ginger and the garlic to the onion mixture. After which, you add the tomatoes" she watched him carefully follow the instructions. "Pour in all the beef stock…. I guess you can do everything else, Tsuruga-san. I'll try to assist you here." She looked at him and smiled.

Ren smiled back and continued to cook, so he added the seared beef cubes, the bay leaves, the star anise and the grated apples. He brought it up to a brisk simmer, and lowered the heat and continued to simmer gently until the meat became tender. Then, he dry roasted about 2 tbsp of garam masala, and added the sliced carrots as well.

Kyoko was able to finish making the roux in a separate saucepan beside Ren by melting the butter, heating it until the foam subsides and then stirring in the flour briskly until it became golden in colour, before she removed the saucepan from the heat, to add the curry powder. Then, she added it to the curry.

Both of them smiled at each other for a job well done, and got plates, the rice and utensils, in order to eat the dish they made.

Ren was the first to taste it. "Mmmm… I guess what they said is true…"

Kyoko took a bite as well and had an inquiring look on her face. "True that what?"

Ren continued. "That the food you cooked would taste much better than the other food you tasted, especially when it's the result of a very hard work." He laughed.

Kyoko laughed with him. They continued to eat their food and talk, when it suddenly rained hard. Ren noticed this, and tried to get Kyoko to sleep in his apartment. "Mogami-san, I think you should stay the night. It's really raining hard outside, and it might be hard to go back to the Daruma-ya," Ren said.

Kyoko looked up from her food. "It's okay, Tsuruga-san. I can call for a cab to pick me up. There's no need to bother you. Thank you for the offer, though." She smiled.

Ren inwardly sighed, 'I should've known it wouldn't be easy to convince her.' "I didn't mean that you should take a cab, Mogami-san. I just think it would be safer that you stay here for the night."

Kyoko then reached for the tea, which is still very hot, and tried to pour herself some tea. "I insist, Tsu-" _**BOOM!**_ Her sentence was cut, when she heard a loud thunder, and she spilled very, very hot tea on her hand. She whimpered a bit and trying to hold the tears threatened to fall, because of the pain of the burn.

"Mogami-san?" Ren immediately noticed her scalded hand that she's clutching towards her chest. His eyes grew wide, and he started to panic. "Are you alright?" He quickly took action and gently grabbed her hand and led her to the kitchen sink. He placed her hand on the running water while soothing them with his thumb, making circular motions. After that, he gently dried her hands and reached for an ointment on one of the drawers. He found what he was looking for and applied it to the burn on Kyoko's hand. Then, he gently placed a kiss on her hand.

Kyoko, all the while – from the time Ren grabbed her hand and led her to the sink – watched Ren take care of her. She felt happy, and was able to forget most of the pain she was experiencing just a while ago. In fact, she almost completely forgot that she scalded her hand; she was too busy watching how Ren's expressions change from panic to worry. She felt captivated by Ren, and can't seem to take her eyes away from him. That is, until he kissed her hand.

She blushed; a deep scarlet staining her face at Ren's action. Ren, then looked at Kyoko in the eyes, suddenly feeling relief wash over him. He smiled his heavenly smile at Kyoko and asked, "Does it still hurt, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko, for once, didn't feel affected by his heavenly smile. Well, except for her demons, as they were already cowering in fright. Kyoko stuttered her reply, "Uhm… N-n-no."

Ren noticed that Kyoko kept on glancing at her hand, which is still being held by Ren. His eyes narrowed. _'Why? Am I that repulsive that she even refuses to hold my hand? Do I not treat her nicely enough? If THAT bastard held her hand, will she not react this way?'_ Ren suddenly began to feel a bit of anger bubble up inside him, and he made an impulsive move.

He kissed her.

* * *

**Hmmm… Cliffhanger… XD…**

**Thank you for reading! :D**

**thank you to the people who reviewed, "favorite-ed", and alerted. :D**

**Please review!**

**-Have a nice day-**

**-thexz09-**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of the characters.**

**UPDATE! YAY!**  
**Thanks for waiting! :D:D:D  
I know it was a bit painful to wait.. so here ya go! :D:D  
**

**I hope you enjoy it! **

**Chapter 5:**

Kyoko looked at Ren with confusion and embarrassment, all the while trying to glance at their connected hands. '_Why won't Tsuruga-san let go? Is there some kind of glue that got stuck on his hand?'_ Then, as she once again looked at Ren, she noticed that his eyes had narrowed. Her eyes widened in response. _'Uh-oh. I know that look'_ She started to panic and tried to think of a way to escape, when she was suddenly pulled by Ren and was kissed. Her eyes couldn't get any wider when she realized what was happening. _'What the heck is Tsuruga-san doing? Why is he kissing meee? Is he trying to bully me again?'_ When that thought crossed her mind, she suddenly got angry, pushed Ren away from her and stood up.

She pointed accusingly at him saying, "I know that you don't like me, Tsuruga-san, but did you have to kiss me to make me suffer even more? IS THIS A NEW WAY OF BULLYING?" Tears of anger and frustration started to form in her eyes.

Ren looked at her with a hint of annoyance, but mostly with remorse and something else _'I know that I shouldn't have done that in an impulse, and she has every right to be angry, but for goodness sake, why would she think that I'm bullying her?_'He stood up and walked towards her, with her backing away every time he took a step. "Kyoko, I didn't do that because I dislike you. It's because I like you. No. I love you." Ren looked straight into her eyes.

Ren watched as Kyoko stopped backing away, and her eyes grew wide once again, and then back to its original size. "I don't believe you." She said, her voice low. "Who would like a plain and boring girl like me? STOP TRYING TO PLAY AROUND WITH ME!" She was about to turn around and leave when Ren grabbed her arm and hugged her close to his body. Kyoko was surprised, to say the least, and she was shocked speechless.

"You are neither plain nor boring, Kyoko. The person who said that was both stupid and blind. He wasn't able to see how beautiful and wonderful you are. You're friendly, caring, funny, and most definitely lovable. You are the only woman I ever loved and will be the ONLY woman that I would love for the rest of my life. So believe me when I say that I love you, Mogami Kyoko." He once again bent his head to kiss Kyoko on the lips, while Kyoko just dumbly stared at him, very, very shocked out of her mind, and was unable to possess enough strength or awareness to push Ren away from her.

'_Tsuruga-san LOVES me? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! But what about that girl that he talked about with Bo? The girl with the 4 years dif - … Wait… 4 years…' _Kyoko thought for a split second, and everything fell into place. Her eyes grew wide. _'I'm 18; Tsuruga-san's 22. I was the girl he was talking about! The high school girl. The 4 years age difference. Everything matches! How can I be so stupid!_'

Ren let go of Kyoko and lifted her chin up so she could look him in the eyes. "Kyoko, I don't expect you to return my feelings now, but I hope that one day, you will. I don't want to pressure you, but always remember that I will wait for you, no matter how long." He smiled his heavenly smile one last time, and left the dazed Kyoko alone in the kitchen, not noticing that Ren called her 'Kyoko' more times than one.

It took a while before Kyoko regained her senses, and when she did, she started to gather her things and prepared to leave. She walked to Ren's apartment door, not bothering to say goodbye and exited the building, called a cab, while she was still occupied by her thoughts, and then went home.

* * *

'_What the heck was that about?'_ Kyoko thought, lying on her bed and on her pajamas, trying to sleep, and failing. _'Tsuruga-san loves me? THE Tsuruga Ren LOVES me? MEE? The me who's unlovable; the me who has no sex appeal; the me who's plain and boring? MEEE?'_

"You are neither plain nor boring, Kyoko. The person who said that was both stupid and blind. He wasn't able to see how beautiful and wonderful you are." Kyoko suddenly remembered Ren's words, and then she blushed.

'_Well, he's certainly right about _**that idiot**_ being an idiot, but that's not the point! I'm still plain and boring' _she paused her thinking for a while, and recalled Ren's expression from a while ago_. 'He looked so sincere, though.' _She sighed.

'_Why'd he even pick me? There are lots and lots of girls who can willingly throw themselves at his feet. Many gorgeous, sexy, and hot women chase after him! With such a wide variety of choices who can love him back with all of their heart and soul, how did he come to love a girl who swore herself from love, and is the number one member of the dratted Love Me section? How? HOOWW?'_

"Are you sure you can't love anymore?" a small voice from her head said. "Of course!" Kyoko, determined, said out loud and sat up from her bed, waking up the okami-san, who became a bit frightened at the outburst of the young actress, and as a result, huddled closer to her husband.

Kyoko grabbed her bag beside her bed and searched for something. When she finally found what she's looking for, she took it out and held it out in front of her. It was her Ren doll, standing on her chest while she lay down on her bed.

"Kyoko, I don't expect you to return my feelings now, but I hope that one day, you will." The doll told her, suddenly.

Her eyes narrowed. "it's not easy to love again, you know," she whispered almost inaudibly to her speaking doll. "Especially since **that bastard** crushed all my hopes of ever being loved again."

"But I love you, Mogami Kyoko." The doll talked back to her.

"Will you stop that?" she scowled a bit and sighed, "Still, why'd you choose me, of all people?" she asked the abnormally, talking doll.

"You're friendly, caring, funny, and most definitely lovable." The doll once again answered her question. "Isn't it obvious?" he added.

She pressed her pillow hard on her face. "Uggghh! Will you stop confusing me?"

"I'm not confusing you. I'm just answering your questions with the truth." The doll replied.

She scowled at the doll, and placed him back on her bag. "There. Stay there and stop talking! You're certainly not helping me!" She glanced at her alarm clock. _'2:30 am'_ her eyes widened_, 'I've been occupied by my thoughts for that long?'_ She sighed, and fell hard on her back on the bed.

'_Now, I still don't know what to do. How can I face Ren now? And I still have to continue to become his manager and cook for him and –… Did I just call him 'Ren'?' _she sighed a very long sigh. _'At this rate, I'm never going to get some sleep.'_

**Meanwhile, in another part of Tokyo…**

A man in his twenties sat on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands. He sighed. _'I wonder what she thinks of me now'_ Another sigh. _'I really didn't expect myself to lose my control that easily, but once the thought of _**that bastard**_ came to mind, I acted on impulse_.' He looked up from his hands and rested his head on his right palm, his elbow resting on his knee. _'Well, on the bright side, I only kissed her… twice' _he sighed again.

'_She must hate me now. She already acted horribly when I kissed her on the cheek. Now, I don't know how this will affect her work.'_ He sighed. _'If she gets all depressed and unable to concentrate on her work, it will all be my fault… Maybe… Just maybe… I can take it back…'_ he stopped himself.

'_No. I won't do that. I won't back away from this. I already waited long enough to tell her my true feelings. I can't become a coward. This might be the only chance I'll get before she leaves for America.'_ Then a though hit him. _'America… – insert sigh here – She'll be leaving for America in two months. I can't just let her leave without fixing our relationship, and become at least friends. Maybe I can talk to her, but not soon. I don't think she'll be able to handle it. Maybe in a week or two – another sigh here – if she's willing to talk to me, that is.'_

He shifted his position, and lifted his head from his palm, and bowed his head down._ 'Still, I don't think I really regret confessing to her. At least now, I don't have to hold myself back… that much. Now that she knows, though, with the reaction she gave me, all the hope of her returning my feelings were crushed into a million pieces. The look on her face when I confessed…' _he laughed albeit bitterly, stopped and then became thoughtful for a while.

'_The best scenario I can come up with in this occurrence is that she won't accept my feeling and would not avoid me, but considering that she left a while ago without saying goodbye, I shouldn't get my hopes up. I won't be surprised if she calls in sick tomorrow._' He glanced at his clock _'2:55 am. Or should I say, later.'_ He sighed once again.

He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, Yashiro came to mind. _'I'm sure that when Yashiro comes back, I'll never get to hear the last of it.'_ He turned on his side. _'Hmmm… I wonder what I should do for the rest of the night… Well, sleeping is surely out of the list. I won't be able to sleep in this condition…'_ another sigh.

**Later…**

Kyoko sighed for the umpteenth time this day. _'I feel so tired, but I wasn't able to sleep a wink last night (or a while ago… whatever), especially since every time I closed my eyes, all I see is Ren. Ren. And Ren.'_ She sighed again and stared at her reflection in a window. She had very noticeable bags under her eyes. No matter how much make-up she tried to apply under it this morning, it doesn't seem to be enough. _'Argh! I look like a walking zombie! No wonder people were looking at me weirdly today.'_

She brought her attention back on the set, where the cause of her dilemma is amicably talking to the host of the talk show, answering questions about his career, current projects, future projects, and the usual stuff. _'Well, at least he's still able to handle himself so professionally, unlike me' _she started to grumble, but then she suddenly heard a question from the host that brought back her attention on set.

"… do you have someone on your mind that could be a potential girlfriend?" The host with wavy, black hair asked, looking very much indifferent and uninterested, as if already knowing what he's going to answer, although she was still able to keep her smile plastered on her face.

Well, the host was caught unexpected when she noticed that the actor hesitated for the slightest moment and glanced at someone on set. She immediately focused 100% of her attention on the actor, and swore to herself that she's going to find out who finally managed to capture the unromantic man's heart. She was disappointed when the actor replied with his usual, "No. Not really."

"Really, Tsuruga-san? Then what was that hesitation I sensed a while ago?" The host asked, half serious, and half joking.

Ren immediately flashed his 1000 watt gentlemanly smile at her, and laughed it off "What hesitation?" His smile intensified.

'_Yeah, right(sarcastic)'_ the host thought, and sighed inwardly. _'Oh well, it doesn't look like he's going to budge anyway. Still, who was the person he glanced at a while ago. Hmmm…. Oh, it's his manager. He probably asked a silent question regarding the lucky girl. Anyway, I should call the break of the show for now.'_…

Kyoko, who watched the whole exchange, of course, saw Ren glance in her direction. As an effect, she blushed like a tomato. _'Why did he have to glance at me like that? I almost had a heart attack, my heart was beating so fast, that it almost leaped out of my chest. I was worried that his career might be ruined if he told the host that…. Nevermind… I don't even want to think about it.' _She sighed.

'_Aside from that, that smile almost scared me out of my wits. I almost feel sorry for the host. Well, almost, since it was her fault anyways,' _she scowled_. 'She brought it upon herself, although I haven't seen him smile that brightly ever since I last talked to him about Sho… I wonder why…'_ She was brought out of her thoughts when Ren started to come her way.

"Are you ready to go, Mogami-san?" he asked, but this time, gone was the gentlemanly smile, replaced by his heavenly one.

She immediately looked down, blushed, and stuttered a nervous reply of, "H-h-hai."

They went to Ren's shooting in a drama next, near LME. The car ride was silent, just like how the rest of the morning and afternoon was. Both were occupied with their own thoughts, and unwilling to start a conversation that would result in an awkward atmosphere.

'_Well at least she's not avoiding me THAT much. I was already expecting her to leave the job, but I should have expected this. Being the professional that she is, she can't and won't leave her job unfinished. In fact, that's one of her characteristics that made me like and notice her,'_ he smiled and stole a glance at her, and saw her looking out the window, trying to avoid any eye-contact, what-so-ever. _'I guess this is enough for now. This is the best that I could've hoped for._' He sighed, but realized something and suddenly frowned_. 'I wonder if the REAL avoidance would only occur AFTER being my temporary manager.'_ He inwardly sighed. _'I guess I should at least talk to her, make her feel a bit more comfortable...'_

"Ano… Mogami-san.." he started, but was interrupted by Kyoko. _'… or not'_ Ren finished his thought.

"Tsuruga-san, there's the studio! I didn't expect we'd arrive here five minutes early." Then she laughed awkwardly.

'_She's obviously trying to prevent me from talking. I shouldn't push her too hard – it might bring out some even worse consequences later'_ he thought and decided to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

Kyoko, sitting on one of the chairs on set, was now feeling depressed. Even though she does feel a bit awkward towards Ren, she still respected him as a sempai and a mentor, so she is now very, very guilty for trying to avoid having any sort of conversation with him. _'I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san. I just don't want to talk much right now. I need to sort out my thoughts.'_

Kyoko suddenly heard footsteps getting closer and closer to her, so she looked up, and was surprised to see her sempai. 'I thought he won't be back for another 15 minutes or so…' He started to come closer and closer to her, and that was when Kyoko noticed his attire. He was wearing the usual polo shirt wherein the first three buttons were open. Kyoko blushed slightly,getting a good view of his muscles.

"Mogami-san, I think I left my script here. Have you seen it?" he asked, and started to rummage in the bag, just next to Kyoko.

"Uhm. I th-think it's over t-there in the b-bag. Er, le-let me help you w-with that," she was about to reach for the bag, when she and Ren brushed hands. Kyoko's eyes widened ever so slightly, blushed, and looked down. "P-please excuse m-me for a m-moment. I, uh, re-remember that I, er, n-need t-to use the b-bathroom." She bowed quickly and ran towards the bathroom, and closed the door hastily, while Ren stared after her, confused.

She clutched her heart, which is now beating painfully fast on her chest, trying to calm it down. _'What in the world is happening to me? We just brushed hands, but then my heart started to beat erratically! And it felt like some kind of electric current passed through my body!'_ She reached towards her forehead and felt the warm temperature. '_Am I sick? Do I have a fever?'_ She looked at the mirror, and saw hew strawberry colored face. _'What the heck? Why am I blushing?_'

She sighed and sat on the floor, hugging her knees close to her chest. '_What did Tsuruga-san do to me?'_ she cried desperately in her mind.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! :D**

**I'd also like to thank the people who reviewed, "favorite-ed", and alerted. I appreciate it a lot! Thanks for the support! **

**Please review!**

**-Have a nice day-**

**-thexz09-**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of the characters.**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 6:**

A phone was ringing loudly in an office. A disheveled man was asleep on his desk in front of his laptop. He groaned when he was woken up by his phone. He looked at the caller ID and lazily picked it up.

"What is it?" he said in an angry tone, still obviously very sleepy.

"Sir, I think I found what you were looking for." As the man on the line finished his statement, the disheveled man immediately perked up and was 100% awake.

"Continue." He said, his tone immediately became professional.

"I've found information about it and I know where you can go to get what you want. I have to warn you, though. You shouldn't move recklessly. We have to plan this out carefully."

"Good, good." The man replied, and smiled. "We'll talk more about this later." He shut his phone and started to type on his laptop, thoughts of sleeping completely forgotten.

/-/

In a spacious apartment in Tokyo, two people were very much exhausted from the day's work load, but had to continue their duties for the day. One of the two people, a man, was in the living room, pretending to watch a cooking program, while listening to the sounds of a knife hitting the chopping board with a _**CHAK! CHAK! CHAK! **_coming from the kitchen_**.**_

Ren sighed, _'Her avoidance just became worse. After the filming in the studio near LME, she refused to look at me, and would stay as far away from me as possible. She would only speak to me if it concerns work, but most of the time she would just suddenly cough or pretend to have gotten a text message.'_ He reached for the remote and tried to find an interesting program.

'_I wonder what I did wrong. I don't think I acted differently, and I always kept my smile in check, knowing that she'd be scared if I showed her my fake smile.'_ He sighed and gave up on finding a good TV station to watch, turned off the television, and set the remote down on the coffee table. He lay down on the sofa, with one of his feet dangling on the side.

'_Actually, I think everything started to become like this after I asked her for the script. When our hands touched, I was about to say sorry, but she had to run away and go to the bathroom. Is she that scared of me now?'_ he turned, and rested his elbow on the sofa, while placing his head on his hand. _'But it wasn't like I pulled her to me or something; it was an accident. So why would she react as such?'_ he sighed.

"I know. It's because you confessed to her after you kissed her forcefully, so she might've thought you'd do it again." Said a little voice in his head.

Ren scowled in return. "Who asked for your opinion?" he mumbled.

"You did." The little voice snickered and disappeared.

Ren sighed and lay on his back and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.

/-/

Kyoko was already done chopping carrots, and now proceeded to cut the potatoes. _'I don't know what's happening to me anymore. I can't seem to look at him straight in the face. Whenever I see him, I suddenly feel very embarrassed and I would look away. When he speaks to me, I would try to make up some excuse so that I won't talk to him, fearing that I'd make a fool out of myself. Aside from that, I came to feel very conscious of him; I would know when he's behind or beside me, even when he doesn't make his presence known – I can spot him in a crowd easily now.'_ She sighed, and continued to chop more potatoes.

'_I'm also pretty sure that he noticed the way I acted. He's probably mad at me now._' Dark clouds started to form above her head, as she envisioned her sempai being mad at her, and avoiding her. _'But I couldn't help it! It's like some force is making me act this way and I couldn't control it! My heart beats faster when I'm around him, and it wouldn't slow down! I'm sure people near me even heard it, considering how loud it was pounding…'_ she sighed.

'_So the only solution I thought of, was to distance myself from him with at least three meters. But, of course, I can't use that rule when we're in the car. That's just impossible! So I had no choice but to suffer every time.'_ she scowled as she thought of the recent car ride.

'_During the ride, I could sense his every movement, and observe everything about him. Like how his breathing would make his chest go up and down, how many times he'd blink in a minute, how many breaths he'd take, I even tried to count his eye lashes! HE WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY! I didn't know what I was thinking; I just did those on impulse._' She stopped chopping and noticed that she has cut and peeled too many potatoes, because she was too distracted with her thoughts.

"Great. Just great. Now what am I going to do with these excess potatoes? I can't just throw them away." She absentmindedly cooked the meal, and thought of what to do when she got home.

When she finished cooking, she fixed the table and laid down only one plate and prepared the tea. She picked it up when it was done boiling and placed it near one of the cups , when she suddenly caught sight of her hand. It had a small mark on where she scalded her hand before. It was at the middle of the back side of her hand. That part was a little darker than the skin around it.

She looked at it for a few seconds, and then smiled. She gently placed a kiss on the same spot Ren had, and wore a soft expression. She stopped. Realizing what she had done, she jerked her hand away from her lips, as if it burned, and blushed.

"I have to leave soon before I do anymore unnecessary actions." She mumbled and went to the living room to tell Ren that she already finished making dinner.

When she spotted him, however, he was sleeping peacefully on the sofa. _'He must have been tired,'_ she thought. She slowly approached the sleeping man on the couch and looked at his sleeping face. She smiled. _'He looks so vulnerable when he's sleeping. It's actually very cute.'_ She bent down to his level and slowly reached her hand towards his face, but stopped mid-reach. _'What was I about to do?'_ She quickly stood up, picked up her things, wore her shoes, and left the apartment.

She arrived just outside the building of Ren's apartment and walked to nowhere in particular. She paused to look up at the sky. _'Hmmm... I hope it won't rain today. I have to take a walk for a while, to clear my thoughts.'_ She sighed.

'_What was I doing in there? It was like I was taking advantage of him! I'm so shameless!'_ she paused her thought processes for a moment, as she heard a weird sound and looked around. When she was sure it was nothing, she continued. _'Actually, none of this should be considered my fault. Yeah, that's right. It's all because of that cute, defenseless, sleeping face!'_ "Gah! It's his fault!" she told no one in particular while hitting herself hard in the head.

So preoccupied was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice a person in the shadows following her around and observing her every movement. His/her whole body was shrouded with darkness. The person shifted his/her position and his/her lips became illuminated a by a post lamp just as it formed a smirk.

/-/

One morning in LME, Kyoko was trying to get some Love Me work done by mopping the floor in a hallway. She was concentrating on her work that she didn't notice that people were trying their best to stay away from her. When they passed by and caught sight of the girl in the pink jumpsuit, their eyes would widen, and they'd scurry away as fast as they can. Now, the hallway was completely empty.

Kyoko stood straight(well, as straight as she can handle) as she finished the last spot in her cleaning. She was about to leave when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Oi! Kyo – " Kyoko saw her face shift from indifferent to one of horror. She didn't care though.

"MOKO-SAAANNN!" she yelled as she hugged her best friend.

Moko pushed her away and looked at her. "KYOKO! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THESE PAST FEW DAYS? DID YOU EVEN SLEEP?" Kanae yelled at Kyoko as she took in her appearance. Her eye lids drooped; her eye bags became worst than ever; her eyes were red and sore, and it lost its usual sparkle. It looked as if she didn't get any sleep for a week. Her clothes were a bit wrinkled – totally unusual for Kyoko – and her usual posture was gone. She looked very, very tired.

Kyoko TRIED to fix herself up, and laughed, a bit embarrassed on her outlook. "It's just that I can't seem to get a lot sleep this week." She scratched the back of her head.

"MO! You're an actress! You should take care of yourself more! You have to look presentable. Be a bit more professional!" Kanae lectured Kyoko.

Kyoko looked down, and said in a small voice. "I'm sorry Moko-san."

Kanae sighed, "Alright. Anyway, we have a new request. It's at the third floor of this building. Let's go, and try to fix yourself! Straighten your posture! Make your eyes bigger! Fix your hair!" she dictated to her firend, as Kyoko followed the orders. "There! At least now you look more presentable."

Kyoko smiled at her best friend, "Thanks, Moko-san"

They started to walk towards the elevator. Moko glanced at her friend, "Kyoko, what happened to you? It's not like you to be careless about yourself like that. In fact, this is the first time I saw you like this. Do you have a problem?" She asked, getting worried for her friend, but trying hard to conceal it with her impassive façade.

Kyoko opened her mouth and was about to answer when she spotted someone. She immediately shut her mouth and stuttered a nervous, "I-i-I'll b-be r-right b-back." And left.

Kanae stared after her in confusion until she was approached by two tall men. She looked at them warily, before realization came to mind. _'Hmm… I wonder what happened to those two…'_ there was an evil glint to her eyes. _'Well, I'm sure as hell going to find out later'_

"Good morning, Kotonami-san," Ren greeted as he approached her, together with his manager, who looked dumbfounded for a moment before he composed himself.

'_What the heck happened to those two? I thought for sure their relationship was going to improve this time!'_ Yashiro sighed, _'Oh, how wrong I was. Now Kyoko's avoiding Ren like the plague. No wonder Ren has been depressed these days.'_ he glared at his charge. '_You loser in love! I can't believe you ruined the chance I gave you!'_ he sighed again. Ren ignored the glare he got from his manager and turned his attention to Kanae.

She replied with a nod and said, "I don't what happened between you two, but if you did something unforgivable to Kyoko…." She trailed off and glared, knowing the actor got her point. "I don't care if you're the number one actor in this industry." She continued her threat.

Ren smiled at her and said, "I'm glad Mogami-san has such a reliable and good friend."

Kanae blushed a bit and looked away. She replied with a, "Hmph."

Yashiro interrupted the moment and told the actor, "Ren, it's almost time for your next appointment. We need to go ahead. Please excuse us, Kotonami-san. Have a nice day," he smiled and dragged Ren with him.

As soon as they left, Kyoko reappeared and asked nervously, "Uhm… Did they leave already, Moko?"

Kanae turned around and glared hard at her. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Kyoko. And I want each and EVERY detail. Do you understand?"

Kyoko gulped, and nodded, a little scared of her friend.

/-/

**Thank you for reading! :D**

**Please review!**

_-Have a nice day-_

_-thexz09-_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat!**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 7:**

_**Previous Chapter:**_

_Yashiro interrupted the conversation between Ren and Kanae. "Ren, it's almost time for your next appointment. We need to go ahead. Please excuse us, Kotonami-san. Have a nice day," he smiled and dragged Ren with him._

When they reached the parking lot and went inside Ren's car, Yashiro glared at him. "What did you do to sweet little Kyoko-chan, Ren?" he asked dangerously, being curious and concerned at the same time, but mostly concerned.

...

Ren, as usual, replied with a gentlemanly smile, and said, "What are you talking about, Yashiro-san?"

Yashiro refused to be intimidated this time, so he glared harder. "Don't play dumb, Ren. I saw how Kyoko-chan avoided you today. That explains why we haven't been seeing her for the past few days of the week." _'No matter how much I try to fit your schedules together'_ he added as an afterthought. "What happened while I was away?"

Ren started the car and ignored Yashiro. He was not going to tell him the truth, being the stubborn man that he is.

Yashiro sighed, exasperated, "I leave you two for three days and this is what happens. I really don't what to do with you two."

It was Ren's turn to sigh, "Yashiro-san, please. I don't want to talk about it right now."

Ren looked so pained and in anguish that Yashiro couldn't ignore his request. _'It's the first time I've seen him so depressed. I actually feel pity for him. I wonder what really happened.'_ He looked at the car window and refrained from asking any more questions. The rest of the car ride was silent as they reached their next job.

* * *

"I have already confirmed it, sir. Everything is set."

"Are you sure? Is your source reliable?" a man asked, suspicious of the information just given to him.

"Yes. I trust him very much. I would even bet my life on him." The other replied, confident and unfaltering.

"If that's the case, then you did a good job. The money is with my secretary. You can take it on the way out. It's nice to have worked with you." He reached out his hand.

The other man took it, and they shook hands. "Next time you need me, just call." He smiled, and left.

The door clicked shut, and the man left in the room turned his chair around and looked at his window. "Heh. Finally, it's time. I've already waited long enough for this." The man laughed.

* * *

"Mo! It's just a sleepover! Take those things away from me!" Kanae said, looking at her friend, a bit irritated. The room was full of food – from chocolates, cakes, popcorn, and other finger foods. _'Ugh! If I don't control myself, I'd have to run more than a mile everyday!'_

Kyoko, who was kneeling on the floor and trying to fix up a cake she baked, looked at her friend with pleading eyes, "But… But… Moko-saaan, it's the first time that we're going to have a sleepover in my room. I thought that we should do something special. Please, Moko-san? Pleeeaaase?" she turned her puppy dog look on full power, as she tried to convince her best friend.

Kanae, exasperated, gave up and knelt beside Kyoko, "Fine. But, look" she faced her friend with a serious expression, "I'm not here to have fun; I want to know what happened between you and Tsuruga-san." _'And I'm not going to give up until you spill your guts'_ she added to her thoughts.

"Y-your don't w-want to have fun with m-m-me, Mo-moko-san?" Kyoko asked, her voice quivering.

"Mo! Alright, alright! But only for a while! AFTER you tell me the whole story." She replied, crossing her arms in front of her, a sign that she's not giving up. '_If I didn't know any better, I'd think she's trying to avoid the subject.'_

Kyoko instantly brightened, and stood up, led Moko to her bed, and they both sat on it, cross legged, as Kyoko tried to relax.

Kanae raised an eyebrow, "So, tell me what happened."

Kyoko sighed. '_I knew this would happen; Moko-san is such a good friend. She's concerned about me!'_ her eyes took on a faraway look for a second, before realizing that she had to tell Moko everything, and so she visibly darkened. "You see, it all started when I became Tsuruga-san's temporary manager as a Love Me assignment. Just like always, I was admiring Tsuruga-san with his superb acting skills and how he was able to manipulate an actress if he wanted to!" She looked proud for a moment, and continued, "And after his shooting in the morning, afternoon, and some part of the night, as requested by Yashiro-san, I would cook for him at night in his apartment." She blushed at this, as she remembered what happened.

Moko looked her friend, and became shocked. _'What? So this is all because of that manager? And why did she blush? Did that bastard do something indecent to her in his apartment?'_ she became a bit angry but snapped back to attention when Kyoko spoke again.

"So during the first night that I cooked for him, he was trying to help. So _h-he t-tried_…" she stopped for a moment as giggles erupted from her mouth, as she remembered how Ren tried to use the knife. "to h-help by _**trying**_ to use the knife," she emphasized the word _**trying**_. "but he failed," she smiled, and controlled the fit of giggles about to get out of her mouth again. "So he asked me to teach him, and I gladly agreed. During the time I was teaching him how to cook, it took him a lot of time before he was able to learn how to cut the knife; his face was so funny. You should've seen it Moko-san! I was trying to hold back my laugh!" she giggled. "But when he really cooked, he was good. He was a natural! The curry he made was delicious, too! It was soooo good! I didn't realize he had the potential! I thought I had to always cook for him if he wanted a homemade meal!.." Kyoko continued to praise and tell storied of Ren until Kanae interrupted.

"MO! Will you stop talking about him already! This isn't about him! I want to know what made you avoid him and why you're lacking sleep and looking all unhealthy! Not on how good at cooking he is!" Kanae observed, as her friend realized what she was doing, and how she blushed. _'Hmmm…'_

"Er, right. Anyway, it started to rain hard that time, and while we were eating, I reached for the tea, but the thunder surprised me, so my hand was scalded, and Tsuruga-san noticed the pain I was experiencing so helped me and immediately took me to the sink." Her expression softened, and she smiled as she unconsciously caressed her scalded hand. "Actually, I forgot all about the pain when he reached for my hand. I even almost forgot that I just got hurt. The pain became a dull ache until it only became something so insignificant. I just stared at him the whole time, taking in all of his expressions." She looked like she was talking to herself while she narrated the story.

'_Hmph. It looks like she forgot about me. I don't even think she's aware that I'm listening.'_ Kanae shrugged, _'Oh well. At least I get to hear the whole story.'_

"But then… after he put the ointment on my hand… he-he… " Kyoko looked down, blushed like a tomato, and spoke so softly, that Moko had missed it.

Kanae's ears perked, "What was that? What did he do?"

Kyoko's voice became a bit louder, but not enough so Moko had to ask her to repeat it again. This time she took a deep breath and said, "HE KISSED ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE LOVED ME!" she blushed again and looked down.

Kanae's eyes were as wide as saucers. _'He did that? Wow. I didn't think he had it in him to confess.'_

"I didn't know what to do; I was so confused. So when I came back to my thoughts, I immediately left his apartment." Kyoko continued, and became a bit depressed.

"So that's why you couldn't sleep for the past few days? Because you were bothered about his confession?" Kanae interrupted.

Her friend nodded meekly, "I couldn't bring myself to talk to him properly after that. I avoided him, but it became worse when _**that incident **_happened."

"What incident?"

"Well… Tsuruga-san forgot his script and went to look for it in the bag that he left with me. He rummaged in through the bag, trying to find it, so I wanted to help. But when I reached for it, our hands touched, and I didn't know what happened to me after that. I just ran away!"

"Why?" Kanae asked, surprised her friend would run away just from skin contact. _'Why would she do that? Unlesss…'_

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I went to the bathroom as an excuse and my heart started to beat so erratically after that. I was also blushing so much that I thought my face was going to stay red for the rest of my life. My avoidance became worse as well. I stayed at least three meters away from him, since I couldn't look at him straight in the face without blushing, and I'm also pretty sure that he can hear how my heart was pounding so fast in my chest. I can even detect his presence a mile away! I was so conscious of him!" She stopped and looked at her friend with hopelessness. "I don't know what's happening to me, Moko-san! I think I might have gone crazy from all those times thinking about Tsuruga-san, or maybe…. maybe I might have gotten really sick."

Kanae had a smug look on her face. '_I knew it!'_ "Kyoko. I know what's happening to you."

Kyoko looked hopeful and expectant, "Reaaaaaaally? Tell me, Moko-san! Pleaaasee! I need to know what kind of disorder this is! It's driving me nuts!" _'Ahh! I can see the light! I can finally find out what's happening! Moko-san is such a great friend! I know I can trust her with this! You're brilliant Moko-san! I can finally fix my probl – '_

"You're in love with Tsuruga-san." Kanae said bluntly.

Kyoko stopped her thoughts and looked at her friend with a dark and disbelieving look. "Hah?"

Kanae smiled. "It's simple. The way you blush when you look at him, when feel so conscious of him, and when you're heart beats so fast every time. Besides, I could already guess that you were in love even without telling me the whole story. The expression on your face when you talk about him – that just proves it!" She paused and looked at the blank face of her friend. She sighed. _'I knew she wasn't going to take this like how any other girl would; just like how she took that Tsuruga's confession. Ah, well. I guess that is her good point.'_

Kyoko snapped back to reality. "but-but! Moko-san! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THAT'S TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE! I can't love! I still don't have that missing emotion! This is.. this is.."

Moko looked a bit irritated at her friend. "You know how to love. Even if you are the very first member of the Love Me section. Don't you love the okami-san, taisho, Maria? Don't you love me, Kyoko?" she asked with fake tears in her eyes. _'Ugh! I hate this! But this is the only way I can make her realize it. You owe me one, Tsuruga-san.'_

Kyoko looked horrified, "Of course I love you Moko-san! I also love okami-san, taisho, and Maria!"

Kanae looked smug for a moment. _'I knew she'd fall for that.'_ "See? You DO know how to love. Look, Kyoko. I know this is such big news for you, but You. Are. In. love. with. Tsuruga. Ren. Understand?" Moko looked at her friend with a stern face.

Kyoko looked down. _'But! But! It's not possible! How can it be! I've guarded my heart so much! How can the walls that I've tried so hard to build, just crumble like this? It's unacceptable!'_ she paused.

'_But.. what if Moko-san's right? What if I am in love with Tsuruga-san; what will I do?'_ she shook her head violently. _'No! That just can't happen. Maybe Moko-san made a mistake. Yea, that's it. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love? ?...'_ "GAH! STOP IT! I'M NOT IN LOVE!" Kyoko shouted pulling at the hair on her head.

Kanae sighed, _'I should give her more time to think about this, but not now.'_ "Kyoko, what are you doing? Aren't we going to watch movies and eat cake, chocolates and other delicious food, just as you said?" she grimaced at this. _'I'm going to accumulate more calories like this.'_ She sighed inwardly. _'I guess it's for Kyoko's sake... This is why I don't like to associate with people!'_

Kyoko instantly forgot her worries and smiled brightly at her friend, "Of course, Moko-san! Let's go now!" she dragged her friend towards the television set and they started to watch the movie while eating popcorn.

* * *

"_Mom! Mom! Where are you going?" a boy with an age around 8 years old asked, running to a woman in her 20s wearing jeans and a red shirt, with her hair tied up in a pony tail._

"_I'm just going to do some work, sweetie." Her expression turned to one of pain and anguish as she remembered something in her past._

_The boy looked at his mother, trying to hold back some tears at seeing his own mother in pain. "Mom, don't worry. Please don't feel hurt." The little boy pleaded._

_The mother smiled sadly at her son and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Alright, but take care of yourself. Your grandma and grandpa will arrive in a few minutes." She stood up and headed towards the door. "Don't talk to strangers, okay?" and she left the house._

The man woke up from his dream and smiled sadly. "I miss you, mom" he whispered into the darkness, and fell asleep once again.

* * *

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**Oh, and... I think I'd like to wait for at least 10 reviews for this chapter before I post the next one...**

**I guess you can say that I need more inspiration... :):)**

-Have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	8. Chapter 8

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat!**

**I'd like to thank all those who reviewed for my last chapter.. I appreciate them a lot! :)  
Also.. Thanks for those who pointed out my mistakes.. I'll keep those tips in mind..  
So.. in thanks.. I was able to come up with the next chapter.. Thanks for the support! **

**Happy reading!:D:D**

**Chapter 8:**

If you were walking the halls at this time, you'd see a pink blur running around doing different stuff. One time, you'll see it cleaning, and then the next time, you'll see it carrying papers, but mostly it's just running around doing stuff. When she runs out of stuff to do, though, she'll just help random people. It will give you the impression that this pink blur is a busy body.

"Kyoko!" Moko yelled as she stepped in front of the pink blur as it started to run once again, thus stopping it. "You've been running around all the day! What's the matter?" she said, irritation masking her concern.

Kyoko scratched the back of her head and took on an innocent look, "What are you talking about, Moko-san? It just so happens that there is a lot of work to do and I also wanted to help some people do errands. Isn't that what the Love Me section is about?" '_Whew! It's a good thing that I'm an actress, or else I can't lie convincingly.'_

Little did Kyoko know, Moko had already figured out that she was lying. Kanae sighed, "Fine. Just try not to cause a scene."

Kyoko smiled, "Okay, Moko!"

* * *

"Haaaaaaaah! I feel so tired!" Kyoko smiled as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel. It's getting dark now and the actress has already finished her jobs for the day. She went to the dressing room of the drama she's filming right now and changed into her street clothes.

Before heading home, she said good bye to her co-workers and director, who greeted her a good day in response. She happily made her way towards the exit of the studio, and walked to a convenience store.

She remembered something, though, so she became depressed. She sighed_, 'It was a good thing that I was able to keep myself busy for the day; I didn't want to think about THAT anymore than I have. Now, though, that I have nothing else to do, it comes back and is haunting Me.'_ she sighed again, and slumped more. _'I don't want to think about it anymore. It's just making me more confused. I find it very impossible for me to get that kind of emotion back. This is just crazy!'_ She wasn't watching where she was going so she bumped into a wall. _'Hmm… this is kind of soft for a wall.'_ She rubbed her head, looked up, and was surprised that she hadn't bumped into a wall, but into a person, so she immediately jumped back and apologized.

"I'm very sorry, sir. I wasn't looking on where I was going. I was just so absorbed in my thoughts. I apologize," she bowed.

The man smiled at her. "It's alright. No harm done."

Kyoko looked up and smiled at the man. He was quite tall and looked about 3 years older than Kyoko and was wearing a business suit. His jet black hair was neatly combed. The eye glass he was wearing reflected the light coming off from a lamp post, and thus it hides the striking blue color of his eyes. He was carrying a briefcase in one hand, and water on the other_. 'Hmm.. he looks quite handsome, but not as handsome as Tsu – '_ Kyoko shook her head and her eyes drifted towards his grey suit that was now wet with water. Her eyes widened and she was about to apologize again, when the man stopped her.

He smiled at her again. "Really. I don't mind. No need to apologize again. It's just water. There wouldn't be a stain"

Kyoko, unable to accept this, still bowed. "Please, let me make it up to you."

The man was about to placate her again, but stopped himself as he had an idea. "Alright. How about some coffee? I was just about to go to a coffee shop."

Kyoko looked surprised for a moment, but having no other choice, just nodded, "Alright sir."

The man led her to a nearby coffee shop and said, "My name is Miyabe Takao. I work in a company near here. I just thought of going around town."

Kyoko smiled at the man, as they reached the door of the coffee shop. "I'm Mogami Kyoko, Miyabe-san. It's nice to meet you. I work as an actress at LME."

The man smiled in reply. "Ah. I see."

They went inside the coffee shop and went to a circular table at the center of the room. It was good for two people, and the chairs and table were made of redwood, while the floor was covered with a red carpet. The ambiance of the room was very relaxing, though it smelled of coffee and sweets. The shop was a bit crowded, as well, but it had enough space to feel comfortable. _'This shop probably sells great tasting coffee and pastries with the number of people here.'_ Kyoko thought as they took their seats.

The man spoke. "I don't watch television that much, since I am quite busy with the company. So, I didn't know that you are an actress."

"It's fine. I'm not really that popular, anyways. I just have a few dramas and movies; that's all." Just as if on cue, a group of girls went to their table carrying a camera and some pens and paper.

One girl spoke up. "A-ano. Kyoko-sama.. I was w-wondering if I c-could get an autograph and a p-picture?" she said while looking down, a bit shy.

Kyoko smiled at the girl, "Sure. It's no problem. What's your name?"

"Er, A-aiko." She shyly answered.

Kyoko beamed at the girl and said, "What a coincidence! In my current drama, my name is also, Aiko." She chuckled, took the pen and paper, signed it and they had a photograph taken.

She was about to return to her conversation with Takao, but others started to recognize her as well and approached her for autographs and pictures. It continued like that for a few minutes – signing autographs, taking pictures, answering some fans' questions, etc. She plastered a smile on her face and pretended that it was alright for her to entertain her fans for a while

She couldn't fool Takao, though. Seeing that Kyoko was already getting a bit uncomfortable with her fans, the man with her spoke up.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but could you please come back later? You see, Kyoko-san is very tired right now, and I'm sure she'd like to drink her coffee." He said, and smiled.

The fans looked at him for a minute and then looked at Kyoko, and they apologized. "We're sorry, Kyoko-chan."

"Ah, no. It's alright." She smiled at them as they went to their respective tables. She sighed, relieved, and sent an apologetic and thankful look towards Takao. "I'm sorry about that. Also, arigatou for helping me out there."

The man smiled, and then chuckled. "And I thought you said that you weren't popular. As I have witnessed, you pretty much attract a lot of attention. Especially with the boys." He winked.

Kyoko looked down and blushed, not knowing what to do or say to the man's statement. It was a good thing that their coffees have arrived, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"So…" Takao started, curiosity visible in his eyes "Is it hard working as an actress?"

Kyoko felt relieved at being able to talk about comfortable subjects. "Well, yes the schedule is a bit hectic, but I find it really fun. I enjoy acting; it's one of the things that I can't live without." Kyoko smiled. "What about you, Miyabe-san? Is it hard to work in a company?"

Takao smiled at her, "No, not really. I just find it boring. You just sit around all day and do some paperwork – sign documents, and stuff. I think your job is much more interesting."

"Oh. Well, if you find it boring, then why would you work there?" she asked, confused.

He frowned a bit at the question, but still answered, "It's because in order to get what I really want, I'd have to work at the company first."

"Hmmm.. I guess it's alright then, as long as you reach your goal." Kyoko smiled. "May I ask the name of the company you're working in?"

"It's the Iwada corporation. It's the tall building you see there." He pointed towards the direction of the company at the window.

Kyoko nodded, and took a sip of her coffee. "I see. Do you stay around here as well?"

Takao also drank a bit of his coffee and replied, "Yes. It's just a few blocks from where I work, so there's no problem with the transportation. What about you?"

"Oh. I don't live around here. I just finished a shoot for my drama in a nearby studio." She smiled.

The finished the rest of their coffee in comfortable silence, when suddenly, Kyoko looked at her watch and her eyes widened slightly.

Takao saw this and smiled, "It's alright. We're almost done with the coffee anyways. You can go ahead." He for reached a card in his pocket and gave it to Kyoko. She looked questioningly at him. "It's a business card," he clarified. "If you need a coffee drinking buddy, just call me." He smiled and winked.

Kyoko laughed and took the card, "Arigatou, Miyabe-san." She stood up and bowed, "Sorry again for the suit, and thank you for the coffee. Please excuse me, and have a nice day." Then she left.

She went straight to the convenience store and bought a few ingredients that the okami-san asked her to buy, and then called for a cab so she can go home. While sitting in the cab, she looked at the business card and her eyes widened, surprised.

_Iwada Corporation_

_Miyabe Takao_

_Vice-President_

_09XXXXXXXXXX/02XXXXX_

'_Whoa. I didn't know that he was someone this big. He was nice, though. For some reason, I feel comfortable around him. I hope I'll meet him again.'_ Kyoko smiled and tucked the card in her bag.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! :D**

**PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW.. :D..**

**The more reviews i get.. I'd probably be able to upload a lot faster.. so.. please review.. :D:D**

**Thanks again to all those who reviewed previously.. **

**Please continue to give me inspirations.. :)  
**

-Have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	9. Chapter 9

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat!**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 9:**

Kyoko turned on her bed, trying to find a comfortable position. _'This isn't working. I really need to sleep this time round. I even had coffee.'_ She sighed. _'During that time, I totally forgot that I had to get some sleep tonight. I haven't been getting any decent sleep and it's affecting my work. I have too big eye bags and my eyes would always look tired. If Tsuruga-san finds out, he'll be really mad_.' Her eyes widened and she sighed again._ 'And now, I thought of something I really didn't want to think about. Nice job, Kyoko. Now it would be even harder to get some sleep.'_

She suddenly had an idea. '_Milk…. Yup, it could help. There's no harm in trying.'_ She got out of the bed, put on her slippers and went downstairs to the kitchen. She got a glass from the cupboard and made some milk.

'_I haven't seen Tsuruga-san much now. Perhaps he noticed the way I was acting towards him and he got mad, so he's avoiding me now.'_ She looked down, depressed. _'I really have to figure this out soon before I damage my relationship with Tsuruga-san.'_ She finished making the milk and went upstairs again.

'_Although I'd like to figure it out, I just can't.'_

"What about what Moko-san told you? It's very plausible isn't it?" a small voice in her head said to her.

'_No! It is NOT possible!'_ she sighed. '_Fine. Let's say I'm in love with Tsuruga-san.'_ She blushed. _'See! I'm not even done with the thought yet, and it already sounds so ridiculous to me!'_

"No it didn't. You just blushed." The small voice said to her, and snickered.

"I did not blush!" she yelled, getting exasperated.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I did not!"

"Yes, you did." The voice insisted.

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes."

"NO!"

"Really?" it asked.

"Yes" Kyoko answered with a determined voice.

"Then why are you getting so worked up over this blush thing?" The small voice said and laughed.

"Because you make sound as if I blushed because it's true!" she yelled.

"Isn't it?"

"NO!" she sighed, and gave up. She got some sleeping pills in her drawer and drank it.

'_That's it. I'm not going to get some sleep if this continues. It's a good thing I still have those sleeping pills.'_ She yawned and lay down on her bed. _'Haaaah! At last! I can finally get some sleep. Seriously, that little voice is driving me nuts!'_ Then, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next day, Kyoko went back to the studio she worked in last night. 'Hmm… I wonder if Miyabe-san is around. Oh well,' she thought and got into character.

"Okay! Places, people! And ACTION!"

"Aiko!" her mother called. She was running towards her daughter in a hallway, panting.

Aiko turned around and glared at her mother. "What now?"

The mother finally reached her and placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder, but it was shrugged off. "Aiko, please. Don't do this! It's not his fault! It was an accident!"

Aiko was now full of anger. "ACCIDENT? ARE YOU SURE IT'S AN ACCIDENT?" she turned around in the other direction and crossed her arms. "All you people say that, but is there evidence that it was an accident? Asato's car's breaks were messed with! It's impossible for it to be an accident! I don't believe it!" she spat.

"Aiko, I know that it's hard to accept, but that's the truth. You shouldn't try to involve other people here. You shouldn't get revenge. I'm sure Asato-kun thinks the same way." He mother said, trying to placate Aiko's anger.

She turned around and looked sad for a moment before her face became expressionless. "I waited for him that day, because he said that he just had to go to a meeting with that bastard, Natsume. We had to talk to the wedding planner, so he said that I can go ahead since he'll be a little late. He told me that he had to drop Natsume off at his home, and he wanted to talk to Natsume's mother. I also heard that Natsume stayed outside that time, near his car." She paused and looked down.

"Aiko…." Her mother was about to touch her face, when Aiko suddenly looked up and had eyes that shouted revenge.

"Natsume was jealous of Asato. I heard him voice his complaints more than once. Even his friends said so. Then, when he learned of Asato's death, he looked like he was already expecting it, and he became more cheerful after that day. I had some people investigate this before, and they found some hairs, fingerprints and footprints on the driver's side of the car, as well as on some wires. They also found some tools and also had some fingerprints."

"But, Aiko! What if he just sat there and tried to drive?" her mother asked, worried that her daughter might do something rash.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! He never wanted to learn to drive, and Asato didn't allow people to try to drive his car. So the only way he can sit there, was when Asato went inside and had a talk with Natsume's mother. And what else could he have done there? PLAY CAR? The only possible reason he was there was that he tried to kill Asato. I'm sure that he got away with this because of the money that he has." She finished dangerously. "That bastard."

"Please, Aiko. Think about this more. If you do something to him, you can't take it back. You can't stain your hands! I know that Asato-kun feels the same way…"

"I DON'T CARE IF I STAIN MY HANDS!" she shouted, tears of despair, frustration, and anger falling on her cheeks. "THESE HANDS WERE ONLY MEANT FOR ASATO! IF HE'S NOT HERE, WHAT AM I TO DO WITH THEM? MY EXISTENCE WAS FOR ASATO! EVERYTHING I DID WAS FOR HIM!" her voice cracked. "And when.. when I found out that he was dead, I didn't know what to do anymore… I felt like an empty shell that was about to break anytime. I felt so useless, so vulnerable." She said, tears continuing to fall.

Her mother reached out, and pulled her into a hug. "There's no need to do this, Aiko. You can still build your life up. You can find a new purpose in life."

"Yes. You're right, and I've already found a new purpose in life." She pushed her mother away, and wiped her tears off her face. "And that is to get revenge for Asato."

Her mother looked angry now, "AND THEN WHAT? AFTER YOU GET YOUR REVENGE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? TAKE AWAY YOUR OWN LIFE?"

Aiko looked sadly at her mother for a moment, before she looked away, unable to answer the question properly.

Her mother looked shocked, and her eyes were wide. "Aiko…" she whispered. "You're not, right? Tell me you're not." When she didn't answer, she continued, "Don't do this… Please… Aiko… Don't do this…" she pleaded, tears starting to appear. "Please." Her voice cracked.

Aiko looked at her mother and smiled a heart-wrenching smile. "I'm sorry, mother." She said, and she walked away.

Her mother was left alone in the hallways, and sank to her knees, crying.

The director almost forgot to say 'cut' at the depressing scene. "A-ano, cut." The people on the set were mesmerized by the scene. Others had tears in their eyes, and others were still dazed.

Kyoko was about to go to her dressing room when she met with Hina, the person who acted the part of the mother in the drama. Hina smiled at her, "Kyoko-chan, that was amazing. I was so moved by your performance that I was able to act properly." She looked fondly at Kyoko, and continued, "You're a great actress, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko blushed and looked down, "Arigatou, Hina-san. I also thought that you're acting was incredible." She smiled.

Hina smiled back, "Thanks, Kyoko-chan. Anyway, it looks like the director is calling for me. Please excuse me."

Kyoko smiled and proceeded to her dressing room.

* * *

Yashiro was sorting though some papers, as per usual, while Ren was busy with his filming for a drama. _'Hmm.. let's see… I wonder what new offers they're having for Ren. Some of his dramas are almost done.'_

Ren approached him, and sat down beside him, drinking water and holding a script.

Yashiro detected his presence, and grinned. "Ren, are you excited for today?"

Ren glanced at his manager, and continued to read his script, "No. Why would you think that?"

The manager looked shocked, "Wha-? Oh…" _'I get it; he's playing dumb again'_ he snickered. "Heh. I noticed that you're mood's been good this day, too. Does it perhaps have something to do with guest starring in one of Kyoko-chan's drama?" he grinned evilly. "Hmmm?"

Ren's eyebrow twitched a bit, and decided to just ignore his manager.

Yashiro pouted, and sighed_. 'How boring.'_ Then he turned thoughtful. _'Well, at least I can tease him already; I guess he somewhat got over the things concerning Kyoko-chan last time. Still, I haven't found out what it was about, and I can't ask him about it, since he's already in such a good mood.'_ He sighed,

'_But I still haven't seen Kyoko-chan approach us. I wonder if they're relationship can't be fixed anymore….'_ He shook his head_. 'NO. I shouldn't think that. I'm sure they'd figure it out soon, especially since Ren and Kyoko are going to meet soon,'_ he grinned evilly, and then sighed. '_I just hope it doesn't make it worse.'_

/-/

"ah! MIyabe-san!" Kyoko called out and waved to the tall man in the suit, a few meters away from her.

He smiled, waved, and approached her, "Kyoko-san. I didn't expect to see you again in such a short time."

Kyoko laughed, "Me, too actually. What are you doing here, Miyabe-san?"

"Oh. It's lunch, and I thought I might find a restaurant here, so I can eat. Care to join me?" he asked, and smiled.

Kyoko smiled in return. "Sure! I was just about to eat lunch as well!"

They went to a Chinese restaurant nearby. It was lunch time, so there were a lot of people. Kyoko remembered to wear a disguise this time, so that she won't be bothered – she was wearing a hat, scarf, and sunglasses. The floor of the restaurant was tiled. The walls were a dark red, and the chairs and tables were made of wood. There was also a big aquarium at the corner, and had big fish, where they get the ones they cook. The room smelled of a fresh and sweet aroma.

A waitress escorted them to the corner, near a window viewing the streets. They can observe the people walking and the cars passing by. After taking a seat, and giving their orders, they decided to talk about work stuff.

"Kyoko-san, I was just wondering… Why did you decide to become an actress? I mean, you can always work in a company, like me, but an actress?" Takao asked.

Kyoko's aura turned dark, and then she frowned_. 'Now that I think about it. I haven't thought about that bastard for the past few weeks. Not even once.'_ She smiled evilly.

Takao, noticing that Kyoko was deep in her thoughts, misunderstood, and thought that Kyoko didn't want to answer his question. "Well, I didn't mean to be nosy. It's alright if you don't want to talk about it." He smiled.

Kyoko, finally realizing that she was supposed to talk to Takao, apologized and said, "No, I'm sorry. It's alright. It's not really private, so I can tell you." She started to recollect her thoughts, "I had a childhood friend once. I lived with him in Kyoto in his family Ryoukan, and his parents took care of me, so I always helped them and strived to become someone who can be of use to them."

"His parents took care of you?" the man looked surprised. "What about your parents?"

Kyoko looked down, and smiled sadly, "Well, my father died when I was just a baby, and my mother always left me at home. Then, once, when she left, she didn't come back."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry." Takao said, looking apologetic.

Kyoko smiled. "It's alright; you didn't know." She paused. "Anyway, I really loved Sh- this childhood friend. I always supported him in everything he did, even if his parents were against it. My motto that time was, 'As long as he was happy, I'm happy.' Everything I did was for him, and one day, he asked me to come to Tokyo with him, because he wanted to become a musician." She took on a dark expression. "And, of course, being the stupid in love girl that I am, I gladly agreed. We ran away from home, without our parents knowing, and went here, to Tokyo. I worked night and day in order to provide the things that Sho needed. I never once thought of my happiness; it was always about him. I left school, and I wasn't able to finish high school, so finding a job that had high pay was hard for me, but I didn't care; I always pushed my limits. The apartment that I rented was expensive, and it was for him, but he rarely comes home, and little did I know that he was staying at his manager's apartment and he was able to attend high school." Kyoko's dark aura worsened as she remembered.

Takao, curious of what happened next, urged her to continue. "And then? What does this have to do with you being an actress?"

Kyoko looked up, her eyes filled with hatred and bloodlust, and Takao looked taken aback. "It's to get revenge to him. When I was about to give him food, I overheard him and his manager talking. He only thought of me as a maid. For him, I was just some useless stepping stone that he can always control." She grimaced, disgusted at the man she is currently talking of.

Takao looked surprised, "So you became an actress to get your revenge?"

"Yes." She answered unwaveringly, but she continued, and her eyes softened, "Well, that was until I met this person."

"Who?"

"Tsuruga-san," she said happily. "He made me want to be like him; he's such a great actor. So because of that, I strived harder, until it came to the point that my whole view of acting changed. I started to love acting, and it became my life. It changed me, and made me discover myself."

"Discover yourself?" Takao asked, confused.

Kyoko looked at him and smiled, "Yes. You see, everything I did, since I was a child, was never for me. It was always for other people like my mother, and Sho."

"Ah, I see. I guess it must have been hard on you." Takao said, looking sadly at Kyoko.

"It's okay, because I have new friends now. If it wasn't for _**that bastard**_, Sho, I wouldn't have been to be what I am now, so in a way, I'm thankful to him." She smiled.

Takao smiled in return, and their lunch finally arrived. The rest of the lunch was spent in silence, and occasional talks about work. When they finished, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Takao smiled. _'Hmm… So her mother left her alone in Kyoto… I see… Well, that explains it…. '_

* * *

Kyoko was deep in her thoughts, when the director suddenly called the attention of the cast.

"Alright, everyone, listen up. Today, is when our guest star is going to film with us. Let us be polite to him, and let's work hard everyone." The director smiled, and noticed that the man they were talking about has now arrived. He visibly brightened, and went ahead to greet him, "Ah! Here he is! Tsuruga-san."

Kyoko froze. _'Tsu-tsu-tsu-TSURUGA-SAN?'_ she was about to run away and go to the bathroom, or anywhere except on the set, when she was called out.

"Mogami-san? Is that you? Are you going to leave without greeting your sempai?" he smiled.

'_**Ahhh! The dark aura!'**_ her demons screamed. Scared out of her wits, she turned around and bowed, without looking at Ren, "I'm sooooooooooooooooo sorry, Tsuruga-sama! Please forgive me for being impolite!"

Ren smiled, this time genuine, "It's alright, Mogami-san." Then, he noticed that Kyoko was trying to avoid looking at him again. He sighed, "Mogami-san?"

"Yes?" she answered, still not looking at him.

"Do you know that it's rude to not look at the person you're talking to?" he said.

Kyoko panicked, thinking that he's mad again, so she looked at him straight in the face, and said, "I'M SORRY!" Realizing what she just did, she blushed, looking like she would invent a new color with how she was blushing. _'Waaaahh! Oh no! Look what I've done! My heart! MY POOR HEART! Noooo! I can't handle this! It's beating too fast! I feel so dizzy!'_ "A-ano, Tsuruga-san. I need to, um, go to my, uh, dressing room now, so please excuse me." She bowed, and ran away, leaving Ren, once again, confused.

'_Is she still avoiding me? But what was with that blush?'_ He sighed, and turned around to come face-to-face with his manager, trying to hold back his laughter. Ren raised an eyebrow, as if in question and Yashiro looked at him, shocked.

"You did know what just happened, right? Why Kyoko-chan ran away?" the manager asked, doubtful.

Ren was confused. "Huh?"

Yashiro stood there, with his mouth wide open. _'He doesn't know? THIS FOOL! HE IS SO DENSE!'_ noticing that Ren was still waiting for his answer, he just shook his head and sighed, _'Ahhh, well I guess that makes them perfect for each other.'_

/-/

Kyoko slammed the door to her dressing room, and leaned on her door, as her thoughts were in chaos. _'Why is this happening to me again? What's wrong with me? My hearts beating so fast, my face is blushing again. WHAT IS THIS?'_

Then, her thoughts were diverted to Kanae's words that night at her room:

"It's simple. The way you blush when you look at him, when feel so conscious of him, and when you're heart beats so fast every time. Besides, I could already guess that you were in love even without telling me the whole story. The expression on your face when you talk about him – that just proves it!"

"You're in love with Tsuruga-san."

Her mind started to process everything at once, and she was getting dizzy, but she refused to stop until she came up with the right conclusion. Everything was a mess, that is until each and every one of them fell into the perfect spot.

When she finally figures it out, Kyoko stared straight ahead, with a blank face, and whispered, "I'm in love with Tsuruga-san…"

* * *

**Hello! Hope you liked the chapter! It's kind of longer than the previous ones! :D**

**YAY! KYOKO FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT! :D.. wonder what she'll do next.. :  
**

**thank you to the people who reviewed, "favorite-ed", and alerted. I appreciate it a lot! Thanks for the support! **

**PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW, for it gives me more strength to write! **

**This time, i think I'll wait for 20 reviews before I upload the next chapter.. :)**

**So.. please review.. :D:D  
**

-Have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	10. Chapter 10

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz09**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat!**

**Hey guys! Thanks for all those reviews, and I'm sorry if any one of you was kinda offended or annoyed for me asking for reviews and such... I guess I just wanted to be really motivated to write, but I'll put a stop to those numbered reviews thing.. :D:D.. Anyway, I'm sorry I wasn't able to upload this chapter fast enough, for I was reeeaaaally busy these past few weeks (I had my exams, and projects, and research stuff, and field trip, which was kinda fun, by the way - we shared some cheesy lines during the 4-hour long bus ride.. -_-' ).. But, at long last, I am able to upload this chapter... ^_^  
**

**Happy reading!:D:D**

**Chapter 10:**

A man was sitting in his office, staring at a specific paper at the center of his desk.

He smirked. "Heh. Soon. Very soon, I can finally get my hands on you. I have waited for a long time, trying to find you. And now that I have, I'm not going to fail."

He took the piece of paper, filled with personal information of a girl in her teens. "Mogami Kyoko."

He smiled.

* * *

"CUT! Mogami-san, you're supposed to be very angry at this point, since you think that Natsume was the one who killed Asato. You look very lifeless, is something wrong?"

Kyoko snapped to attention as she heard her name being called, "Ah, no! I'm fine, director! I'll do it in the next take!" she smiled. _'Damn! I keep on thinking about him watching me, so I can't concentrate! If I don't do this right he'll get really mad at me.'_ Suddenly, she felt a very, very bright smile shooting daggers at her back. She froze. _'SEE? Okay, concentrate Kyoko. You can do this.'_

"Alright then. Back from the beginning, and ACTION!"

The scene started again, while Ren and Yashiro watched from the sidelines.

'_Hmmm.. Yashiro-san seems to be hiding something from me.'_ He thought and glanced at Yashiro, who was, since he came back a while ago, trying hard to hold back his laugh. _'It looks like his inner fan girl is working, but why? It only shows up when it concerns Kyoko and me'_ then his expression darkened, _'Does he find it funny that Kyoko is avoiding me?'_

Yashiro, too concentrated on trying to hold back his laughter, almost took no notice of Ren's dark look. "Uh, Ren, is something wrong?" he asked, all mirth in his body, gone.

Ren smiled his very intense fake smile at him, and said, "Shouldn't I be asking you that question, Yashiro-san? Can you let me in on the joke? What's so funny?" his eyebrow twitched.

Yashiro visibly gulped, but then processed Ren's question, so he grinned instead. "Don't worry, Ren. You'll find out soon. I promise." Then he suppressed another laugh.

Ren, confused as ever, just decided to ignore his manager. He sighed, _'What the hell is he talking about?'_

Ren turned his attention back on set. _'I wonder… What was with that blush Kyoko had that time?' _then it hit him. _'Is this, somewhat connected to what Yashiro-san is laughing about?' _he thought for a moment, but then gave up. He sighed, _'I don't really know what's happening with the people around me, anymore.'_

* * *

Kyoko sighed as she sat on her chair in the dressing room._ 'I wonder if I really should do this. I still feel very scared. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this.'_

_**Flashback:**_

Kyoko stared straight ahead, with a blank face, and whispered, "I'm in love with Tsuruga-san…"

She continued to stay that way, until someone knocked on her door, and said, "Kyoko-san, you have 30 minutes before the shoot. Please get ready."

Then, that was when she started to panic. _'GAH! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? I'M IN LOVE WITH TSURUGA REN! OH NOOOOO! WHAT TO DO?'_ then she stopped, as she thought of just the person who can help her.

She grabbed her bag in one of the chairs, and rummaged through it. She smiled, relieved, when she found what she was looking for. Her phone.

She immediately dialed a number and waited for the other person to pick it up.

"Moshi moshi?" the person said.

"Moko-saaaaaaaaaaan….." Kyoko said, in a very depressed voice.

"Mo! What happened to you? Don't you have filming today?" she asked, a bit concerned for her friend.

Kyoko sniffed, and tried to hold back her tears, "Moko-san, you're right. You're totally right."

"About what?"

"I'm in love with Tsuruga-san!" then her tears fell.

"…."

"Moko-san! DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"she cried to the phone.

Kanae sighed, and seemed to get over her shock. "Fine." She said. "I didn't know that you'll realize it this fast, but… Why don't you tell him how you feel?" she asked.

"…"

"WHAT?"

"Nothing. It's just that I feel really scared." Kyoko said in a small voice.

"Why would you be scared? He already said he loved you, didn't he?"

"Yes. But, he might leave me like _**that idiot**_." Kyoko answered quietly.

"Why? He's definitely treated you better than he did, right? And do you think that he'd do that?"

"OF COURSE NOT! TSURUGA-SAN WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANYONE!" she said.

"See? Now, what are you so afraid of?"

Kyoko sighed, "But how am I going to tell him?"

"Easy. Ask Yashiro-san to let you cook for him." Kanae smiled to the phone. Then there were some muffled voice in the background. "Sorry, Kyoko. I have to go. Remember what I told you. Tell me everything later. Good luck!" Then she hung up.

Kyoko stared at her phone for a moment, before she sighed and prepared for the shoot today.

When she was all fixed up, she went to find Ren's manager. She made sure that Ren wasn't around, and then she approached him.

"Yashiro-san?" Kyoko asked, looking down.

Yashiro looked surprised that Kyoko was right in front of him. He looked left and right and wondered if Ren was around. When he noticed that he wasn't, he turned his attention back to Kyoko. "Hai, Kyoko-chan?"

"A-ano… Can….."

"Uhm… I'm sorry; I didn't quite hear that Kyoko-chan."

"Uhm, can you tell me Tsuruga-san's schedule for today?" she asked in a quiet voice, that can only be heard by Yashiro.

Yashiro looked surprised for a moment, before he grinned goofily and went to get his organizer. _'Hmmm… it seems that Ren is fully booked for tonight, but I can fix that…'_ he laughed inwardly, and wrote some notes. "Hmm.. It seems that Ren is free tonight. He won't have any more jobs at 7pm onwards." He smiled at Kyoko. "is there any reason on why you want to know?" he grinned slyly, as he saw Kyoko blush and look down. _'Suspicious…..'_

"N-n-no. No reason. Why would there be a reason, Yashiro-san?" she laughed awkwardly. "I just wanted to cook for him, that's all." She continued to laugh.

'_Definitely suspicious…'_ Yashiro thought, as he tried hard to hide his giggles.

"Anyway, I have to go now. Oh, and please don't tell Tsuruga-san. I, uh, want to surprise him." She bowed, and made her way towards the set, as Ren appeared at the corner of the room.

_**End Flashback**_

Kyoko slumped into her chair, and sighed again_. 'Oh well… It's not like I can back out anyways. Plus, Moko-san's right. Tsuruga-san is nothing like Sho.'_ She smiled, and wore a determined expression. _'Alright! I'll do this!'_

* * *

After work, Kyoko immediately went to Ren's apartment. She stood in front of his door, as she fidgeted, nervous. _'Alright. Groceries. Check. Me. Check. Courage….'_ She took a deep breath. _'check. Alright, I'm ready.'_

She was about to knock on the door, when Ren opened it. Both looked at each other with wide eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, before Ren snapped back.

"Mogami-san? What are you doing here?" Ren, asked, very, very, very confused. _'I thought she was trying to avoid me.'_

Kyoko blushed and was tempted to look down. _'NO! Have courage, Kyoko!'_ "A-ano… Yashiro-san asked me to cook for you, if that's alright?" she asked. _'Gah! I'm using Yashiro-san as an excuse. Gomen, Yashiro-san!'_

'_I knew it…. Yashiro-san…'_ Ren sighed inwardly. _'Still… she came… That's a good sign, right?'_ He smiled at Kyoko and led her inside his apartment. "Of course. You're always welcome, Mogami-san, and thank you for cooking for me."

Kyoko smiled shyly at him. "It's alright, Tsuruga-san"

She placed the groceries on the kitchen top, and went straight to Ren's refrigerator. "Tsuruga-san…." She said dangerously.

"H-hai?" Ren asked. _'I have a bad feeling about this.'_

Kyoko smiled sweetly at him, TOO sweetly. "Why isn't there any food in here?"

"Ah. You see, my schedule was very hectic these days so…."

Kyoko sighed, "Alright, Tsuruga-san. I'll just have to make sure that you stock them every once in a while." She said, and she scowled.

Ren smiled back. _'I guess she's back to normal, and she not avoiding me anymore. Thanks, Yashiro-san, I owe you one.' _"Can I help with anything?"

"Um… N-" Kyoko stopped herself, and then smiled at Ren. "Actually, yes. I'd like to see if you can still slice properly."

Ren chuckled. _'Back to normal, alright.'_ He reached for the knife and started slicing, helping Kyoko with the meal.

* * *

"The dinner was delicious, Mogami-san." Ren said, as he was driving Kyoko to the Daruma-ya.

Kyoko looked up and smiled. "Arigatou, Tsuruga-san_." 'Oh no! I still haven't told him yet! But I feel so nervous!'_ she looked out the window, and her eyes widened. _'GAH! Only a few more minutes! But what do I do? Just go on and tell him? MOKO-SAAAANN! You didn't tell me how to confess!...' _she started panicking as Ren kept glancing at her.

"Mogami-san? Is something wrong? You seem to be worried about something." He asked, concerned.

"Kyoko." She replied, her back at him.

"Eh?" Ren asked, confused.

Kyoko turned to look at him, blushing. "Call me Kyoko."

Ren was shocked. VERY shocked. It was a good thing that he just parked outside the Daruma-ya, or he might have gotten into a car accident. _'Is she just asking me for what I she's asking me?'_

Kyoko looked down. "A-ano… I'm sor-"

She was about to apologize, when Ren interrupted her, and smiled his heavenly smile. "It's alright, Kyoko. I was just surprised, that's all." He waited for Kyoko to look up and continued, "So, now, it's only fair that you call me Ren, right?"

Kyoko looked taken aback for a bit, before she considered and tried saying Ren's name. "R-r-r-re-n," she said while her forehead creased, concentrating.

Ren chuckled. "Try again."

She took a deep breath. "Ren." She smiled. "There, I said it."

Ren smiled in return, but then Kyoko looked down again, as she remembered something. "What's wrong?"

Kyoko fidgeted nervously, before she shyly looked up at Ren again, while blushing. Ren gulped. _'She's too cute for her own good… NO! I have to control myself; she just stopped avoiding me….' _"A-ano… I…." Kyoko interrupted his thoughts.

Ren looked confused for a second. "I'm sorry, Kyoko. Wha-?"

His sentence was interrupted when Kyoko lifted herself up from her seat, and pressed her lips against Ren's. Ren was surprised to say the least. _'I'm not dreaming, am I?'_ Ren thought, and felt Kyoko's soft lips move against his. _'Oh, what the heck. It doesn't matter. I'll just make the best of it.'_

Ren responded to the kiss and placed one of his hands at the small of her back, and the other at her cheek. He smiled, _'I see that she's inexperienced. It doesn't matter, though. Her lips are the most delicious things I've ever tasted in my life. And I'll treasure them for as long as I live.'_

Kyoko slowly broke the kiss, and blushed as she realized what she did. _'IDIOT! IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO? YOU SUDDENLY KISS HIM?'_ "I-I… uh…" she looked down, and didn't know what to say. _'Kyoko, you have to do this! Or else, he'll misunderstand!'_ She took a deep breath and looked at Ren in the eyes, blushing as red as a tomato. "Ren, I…" she gulped. "I love you."

Ren was smiling angelically at her, and this time it didn't hurt Kyoko's eyes. In fact, she liked it. "I love you, too, Kyoko."

Kyoko smiled in return, as Ren bent down for another kiss.

* * *

A man in the shadows saw everything that just happened, and was smiling. "Enjoy it now, Mogami Kyoko…. While you can…" he laughed maniacally.

He grabbed his phone. "Get it ready, Yamato. We'll start moving, and soon. Also, I think I found something very interesting." He smirked.

* * *

"A-ano… Ren?" Kyoko asked, as Ren went to walk her to the door.

"Yes, Kyoko?" he asked, as he smiled down at Kyoko.

"Do we tell the others and the press about this?" She asked.

"Well... What do you think? Although, I have no problem with it – you've graduated high school, and you're already a popular actress, so I don't think we'll have many problems." He smiled, but then noticed Kyoko and her reactions.

Kyoko froze at the words, **'high school'**. _'DAMN! I still haven't told him about Bo yet! Oh well, I have to start this out clean! I can't lie to him! GO! GO! KYOKO!'_ she was about to speak when Ren interrupted her.

"Kyoko, are you hiding something from me?" Ren asked. "What is it?" he smiled the fake smile.

Kyoko's eyes widened, "I'M SORRRRY!" she bowed repeatedly, crying, "I didn't mean to hide from you that I'm Bo, but I thought you'd get mad and embarrassed and…. I'M REALLY VERY SORRY!" she said, her eyes pleading at Ren to understand.

Ren, though, was trying his best not to laugh, and was not the least bit mad.

When Kyoko realized this, she glared at Ren. "What's so funny?"

Ren stopped shaking, but suddenly, he erupted into laughs. He was holding his stomach, as it was starting to hurt. When he finished, he looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kyoko. You just looked so cute." he chuckled.

"You're not mad?" Kyoko asked, hopeful, and also blushing at Ren's compliment.

"Of course not. Sure, it surprised me, but it's not something to be mad about." He smiled, and pulled Kyoko into a hug.

"Really?"

"Really. Now, about the press, what do you think we should do?" he asked as he let go of her, and looked at her face.

Kyoko looked thoughtful for a moment, before she answered. "I think we should tell them." She smiled. "I wouldn't want to hide all the time. Besides, people will start to make their own assumptions anyway, so we might as well beat them to it, ne?"

Ren smiled down at her, "You're right. I'll arrange for us to publicly announce our relationship. So, for now, you should go inside and get some rest. I'll call you later. Good night."

"Okay. Good night." Kyoko smiled and she kissed him one last time, before she ran to the door, and closed it behind her.

Ren chuckled and walked back to his car. _'This feels so much like a dream, and I wish I'll never wake up…'_

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Another long chapter! :D**

**Again, thank you to the people who reviewed, "favorite-ed", and alerted. I appreciate it a lot! Thanks for the support! **

**PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW, and inspire me! THANKS! :D:D:D**

-Have a nice day-

-thexz09-


	11. Chapter 11

The Course of Nature – ch11

A/N: I'm REALLY very sorry for the delay *bows*. I didn't think I'd be gone this long. I'll make it up to you guys soon. For now, here's a chapter. Oh, and please forgive any mistakes I might have committed. I didn't have time to proofread, you see.

Enjoy! :D

* * *

Kyoko was in the locker room of the Love Me section, and was about to change, when she heard the door to the room opening and then was slammed closed. Kyoko turned around and brightened.

"Moko-saaaaaan!" she hurriedly finished changing and went to hug her best friend.

"MO!" Kanae said, as she tried to pry off Kyoko from her arm. Then, she noticed something different. _'Hm… I sense something wrong, or is that right?'_ she looked at Kyoko more closely. _'Wasn't she all gloomy before, since she was avoiding Tsuru –'._ She stopped her thoughts, and then grinned knowingly at Kyoko.

Kyoko, on the other hand, looked at her friend, confused. "Moko-san?"

Kanae dragged Kyoko to the bench in the room, and made her sit down, as she sat beside her. "Now, tell me what happened yesterday," she said as she crossed her arms in front of her and smiled albeit evilly.

Kyoko blushed and looked down. "Well… I cooked for him, just like you advised."

"And? What was his reaction when he saw you?"

"He was surprised." She giggled, "And I didn't know what to say when he asked me why I was there, so I just used Yashiro-san as an excuse." She looked down, guilty.

"So you confessed to him at his apartment?" Kanae asked.

"No. I, kind of, confessed to him in his car when he parked just outside Daruma-ya." She blushed scarlet as she remembered what she did.

'_Hmm… Suspicious.'_ "So, how did you confess?"

"Er, well, I… kissed him…"

Kanae looked wide eyed at Kyoko's brave action. Then, suddenly, she started shaking, and she covered her mouth with her hand, and then she bent down, still shaking.

Kyoko looked worriedly at her friend. "What's wrong, Moko-san?" she placed her hand on Kanae's shoulder, only to be surprised at her reaction.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" Kanae couldn't hold it in any longer. She was laughing so hard that tears started to appear on her eyes. "I…. can't… believe… you did THAT!" she said between laughs. "HAHA… I.. can't… imagine… Tsuruga-san's… reaction!" she still continued to laugh as Kyoko blushed more.

"MOKO-SAN! It's your fault!" Kyoko cried out, embarrassed. "You didn't tell me what to do, specifically, and I panicked, so I just k-k-kissed him."

Kanae's laughs now turned into giggles. "Still, I didn't expect you to be so…" she laughed again.

"MOKO-SAN! STOP IT!" Kyoko cried and tried to cover Kanae's mouth, but failed.

"Alright. Alright." She cleared her throat, and smiled at her friend. "Now, are you going to tell the press about this?"

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as her friend controlled her laughter. _'Whew! I couldn't handle the embarrassment!'_ "Well, yes. I told Ren that I wouldn't want to hide our relationship, since they're going to find out sooner or later." She smiled.

"Oh. I see your point. I guess it's a good decision." Moko walked to her locker and also started to change. "Anyway, I think your _**boyfriend**_is somewhere in the building. I ran into him a while ago."

Kyoko brightened. "Really?"

Kanae sighed. "Yep, and I think he's headed here right now." They both heard a knock at the door. "I think that's him. You can go ahead." She smiled.

Kyoko smiled back. "Arigatou, Moko-san." She went to the door, and sure enough, Ren was standing there, with his genuine smile.

"Good morning, Kyoko."

"Good morning, Ren" she saw Yashiro behind him, so greeted him as well. "Yashiro-san." She smiled, and she saw the manager just grin slyly at her. She looked questioningly at Ren.

He sighed, knowing what she was talking about. He just shook his head, and bent down to kiss her. "Don't mind it. He's been like that since this morning, right after he found out."

Kyoko blushed at Ren's sudden kiss, not that she didn't like it, though. "O-oh." She stuttered. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked, and smiled.

"Well, I figured we should talk to the president about what we're planning to tell the press," he sighed. "As much as I want to hide this from him." He mumbled.

"Alright! Let's go, then." Kyoko smiled happily, reached for Ren's hand and dragged him towards the elevator, with Yashiro, still in his fan girl mode, towing.

"THAT'S GREAT MOGAMI-KUN, REN! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH!" Lory, as expected, rejoiced over this fact. "I didn't think you had it in you, Ren. Congratulations! You, too, Mogami-kun!" he smiled brightly, and started to do the 'happy dance' with Yashiro, who was also very much high at the moment.

'_I knew he'd react like this.'_ Ren thought, exasperated. "Yes, well, thank you. Anyway – "

"Yes, yes. I know why you're here, but first." Lory interrupted and pulled out a phone. "I'll tell Kuu about this." He grinned.

Ren's eyebrow twitched, and he smiled his fake smile, as he tried to grab the phone from the president's hand. "I don't think that's necessary, president. I think that we should be the one to tell him. Right, Kyoko?"

Kyoko, who was sitting beside Ren, just nodded her head. _'I wouldn't want Tou-san to know about it yet. I think it's best that both Ren and me tell him, instead.'_

Lory just sighed, and gave up. _'Well, I can always call him AFTER they leave my office.'_ He grinned inwardly. He cleared his throat and went back to business, "So, you wouldn't want your relationship to be hidden under wraps?"

The couple nodded.

"Very well; I understand your decision. I'll arrange it, and then I'll call you with the details later." He smiled. "Now both of you go ahead and spend time together for the rest of the day." He ushered them out of the door. "Yashiro-san and I will take care of this, no need to worry."

Kyoko blushed, but didn't struggle. So the couple left LME, leaving Lory and Yashiro in the office.

The first thing Lory did was to grab his phone and dial a number. "Hello, Kuu? I have great news… " he grinned.

"Good morning Japan!" a reporter happily said. At her back, you can spot a lot of people anticipating something, with cameras, recorders, pens, papers, etc.

"Today we are at a press conference at LME, together with rising actress Mogami Kyoko, and the very much popular Tsuruga Ren. People are now getting excited and very curious on the reason for this sudden call, for it seems that they have an announcement to make. Also, we just heard word that as we are speaking, the both of them are heading their way here…" the reporter paused and listened to her earpiece. She grinned. "Oh, and it seems that they were seen getting out from the same car holding hands…" she listened again, and she smiled.

"Ah… it looks like it will start soon." The reporter turned around and the camera focused at front where both Ren and Kyoko are standing.

"Are you ready, Kyoko?" Ren asked, squeezing her hand tighter.

Kyoko took a deep breath, and smiled. "Yep! Ready as ever!"

Ren smiled in return. "Alright." Then he faced the group of reporters and held the microphone.

"Good morning everyone. We are glad that you were able to attend today. We appreciate it a lot." He smiled and glanced at Kyoko, who nodded, and then continued. "We, Kyoko and I, have a very important announcement to make….."

"Moshi moshi?"

The person he was talking to, spoke.

"Oh, is that so? Well, then I guess I have to prepare as well. Thank you for informing me."

He listened to the person speaking on the other line again, smiled, and closed the phone.

Kyoko sighed, relieved. "I'm glad that's over. Although, I'm kind of worried that reporters would disrupt the business at Daruma-ya if they found out that I was also living there." She looked at Ren, who was driving Kyoko home after the hectic day.

Ren smiled. "Well, if you're that worried, you can move in to my apartment. I won't mind."

"Hmmm… yes, that does sound very tempting." She grinned impishly. "But I think I should stay with okami-san and taisho for a while, since the press hasn't found out about it yet. Besides, I wouldn't want to be a burden to you."

Ren sighed, "I really don't mind. It actually helps me more, since I'm sure that you'll be safe in my apartment, with the tight security." He glanced at Kyoko, "Can't you at least think about it?" he asked, with searching and pleading eyes.

Kyoko felt a bit annoyed at the tactic he was using, but couldn't help but give in. She sighed, "Fine. I'll think about it, but for now, I'll stay here."

They arrived at the Daruma-ya, and Kyoko gave Ren a peck on the lips before she got out of the car, and stood in front of the door until Ren's car was out of site.

'_I feel so good.'_ Ren thought_. 'I still can't believe that Kyoko's mine, and that I'm hers._' He smiled, but then remembered something. _'I still haven't told her about my past, though. And as much as I don't want to keep any secrets from her, I still can't help but feel scared that she might leave me.'_ He sighed. _'Still, I should trust her, just like how she trusted me to take care of her heart.'_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a scream of pain from the direction of the Daruma-ya.

'_KYOKO!'_ he screamed at his mind, feeling troubled.

He immediately slammed on the breaks, and looked at his side mirror. He turned the car around, and raced through to get to the restaurant. When he reached it, from his peripheral vision, he saw a car from afar driving away, but took no notice of it, for he thought that it was just some random passerby. _'Is the stalker back? Please be safe, Kyoko.'_ Ren started to panic, until he reached the front doorstep of the Daruma-ya.

His blood turned cold.

Kyoko's things were scattered on the floor with shards of glass, covered with blood. Kyoko's blood. He was suddenly filled with anger and rage. _'WHO DID THIS?' _He looked around and tried to see if Kyoko was still around the area. He ran around the neighborhood, looking for leads on where the kidnapper might have taken Kyoko.

Then it hit him. _'The car!'_ He was about to get to his car, when he noticed something within the pile of Kyoko's things.

A lot of papers were soaked with blood, but there was one specific card that caught his eye. It contained a message written with bloody fingers. After Ren read the message and observed the card, he couldn't contain his anger any longer, so he took the only lead he could find, stuffed Kyoko's things at the backseat of his car and drove off, his thoughts filled with the message on the card.

'_HELP' ' M.T.'_

And it was written on the business card of **M**iyabe **T**akao.

* * *

Err.. yeah.. I'm cruel.. another cliffhanger.. XD.. I'll try to upload soon!

Please review! :D:D


	12. Chapter 12

The Course of Nature

A/N: I do not own Skip Beat or any of the characters.. Again, please forgive any grammatical errors (no time to proofread AGAIN *sigh*. Yes. I'm getting pretty busy these days).

Enjoy! :D

* * *

_**Previous Chapter:**_

_They arrived at the Daruma-ya, and Kyoko gave Ren a peck on the lips before she got out of the car, and stood in front of the door until Ren's car was out of site._

Kyoko stayed in front of the door for a while, and when she was about to turn around and get inside the restaurant, a hand grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth.

'_What? What is this?'_ she started to panic, _'No! Don't panic! Think of something!'_ she tried to yank the hand away from her face, but the man was strong, so she bit the hand and attempted to scream out loud.

"RE-"

"Damn you.. Keep quiet!" the man hissed. He stuffed something in her mouth and reached for something in his pocket.

'_What? This voice… It's very familiar…'_ she glanced down, and saw a suit. _'A suit? Why is he wearing a suit?_' she turned around to face her kidnapper and was surprised. '_M-Miyabe-san?'_

Takai smirked. "Heh. Now, be a good girl and come with me." Kyoko's eyes caught sight of his hand which now held a knife, getting closer and closer to her wrist.

Her eyes widened_. 'No!'_ She was about to escape, when he grabbed her hand, and used the knife to cut the flesh in her arm. "If you don't want to get hurt, quietly come with me."

Kyoko still struggled, though, trying to suppress the pain. _'Think of happy thoughts! Think of happy thoughts! Think of happy thoughts! Your arm is not cut! Damn! My demons won't be able to come out in this situation!'_ Then her bag fell down, which caused her things to fall. She saw something that caught her attention_. _It glimmered in the light with the glossy texture in front._ 'I can use this to give them a clue! Now, if I can just escape his hands for five seconds…'_ She struggled again, but Takao cut her arms again, this time painfully slow and deeper than the one before.

Kyoko screamed out in pain, which was muffled by the thing in her mouth. Takao laughed at her hopelessness. The cut was deep and her blood trickled down from her arms, and dripped to her things. It was sticky, and warm. It started to pool and drain her strength. Her arms started to throb, and she began to feel dizzy. It felt so painful, like a tiger was biting her arms and not letting go. Every second made the pain worse, but she struggled still, until she reached a bottle made of glass. She knew it was her only chance, and she wasn't going to get another one.

"Why you little-"

Kyoko used the bottle to hit Takao's leg, so he screamed in pain, and his grip on Kyoko loosened.

'_Ugh! My vision is getting blurry… I must do something, though…'_ She struggled to be conscious, and grabbed the card she found, and wrote a message using the blood that now reached her fingers. _'Good. Now, I just have to find a way to remain conscious…'_

Takao grabbed Kyoko, unfortunately, and dragged her towards a car using her arm. Kyoko tried to hold back the scream that was threatening to come out of her mouth, knowing that Takao would feel more pleased at the pain he was causing her. Tears starting to spring in her eyes, and she felt like her arm was being ripped from her body. It was unbearable. She struggled to stay awake, although she was unable to think properly - the pain was blocking all of her thoughts, until finally, she drifted off, and everything became black.

/-/

Ren arrived in Lory's mansion fifteen minutes after he found the card that Kyoko left. He looked awful. His hair was tousled, and his hands and shirt were full of blood. His eyes were as wide as saucers. His face was contorted with pain, anger, worry, panic, rage, and hatred. He held the card in one hand, and barged right into Lory's home. The guards tried to stop him, but he struggled, and pushed them aside.

He took no notice of his appearance and on how he acted. His thoughts were only filled with Kyoko, and on how he was going to deal with the bastard that took her. _'DAMN! Where's Lory? I need to find this bastard!'_

"WHAT'S Happening… here." his voice boomed at first, but then quieted down as he saw who was waiting for him.

Lory came out wearing a robe, and when he took in Ren's appearance, he immediately took him to a room at the end of a hallway, and locked the door. He knew that this was something serious and that it involved a certain Mogami Kyoko, for the façade of Tsuruga Ren has completely vanished.

Having no time for formalities, Ren immediately spoke about his demands, "Find this man." He gave the business card that was soaked in blood to Lory, whose eyes widened at the message he saw, and became worried. "Try to find where he lives, the plate number of his car. EVERYTHING!" he shouted, his voice full of anger and panic.

Lory looked worriedly at Ren before he grabbed his phone and talked to the person on the other line. First, he made sure that the press would not find anything about this. It would all do them no good if every one of their moves would be televised in Japan. Then, he used his connections to find every possible thing about the man - where he lives, his educational background, his parents, etc. After that, he opened a nearby computer and just typed.

He glanced at Ren again. "Ren, do you have any idea on why Mogami-kun would be kidnapped like this?"

Ren was pacing the room, and was trying to calm himself down. He glanced at Lory, and replied, "No. I have no idea on why this would happen to her."

"Well, I doubt that it's on money. He's got more than enough... with his job." Lory said as his eyes narrowed. Silence followed as Ren continued to worry and Lory continued to type and call.

After a moment, Ren took deep breaths, calming himself down, and faced Lory. "Have you found any leads yet?"

Lory shook his head sadly. "No. This man knows how to hide, and considering his circumstances and connections, he can easily do it. He's the vice president of the Iwada Corps. It's a very powerful company." He paused. "I won't give up, though. There must be something we can find. There is always a way. I'll do my best to find his whereabouts."

"Damn it!" he cursed. Ren became more tensed, "I can't do anything if it's like this! I'm not even sure if he's planning on keeping Kyoko alive for long." He sat on a chair near Lory's desk, and burried his face on his hand. "I feel so hopeless. If something happens to Kyoko… "

Lory sighed, and placed a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ren. We'll think of something." He assessed his appearance. "Why don't you rest and clean yourself while I work on this? I'll have a room be prepared for you. I'll call for you immediately if I find something." Ren looked shocked at Lory for a moment, until the president hurriedly added, "Kyoko would be upset if she finds out how you're behaving right now because of her." His eyes turned into slits, "She'll be so upset she might not talk to you for a few says when we get her back."

Knwoing he was right, Ren had no other choice and nodded, and exited the room. He wouldn't want to make Kyoko upset. The was one of the things he's most scared of.

Lory sighed. _'How complicated this man is. Only Kyoko can keep him straightened up.' _Then, he continued to answer calls and type on his laptop. After a few minutes with this cycle, uncharacteristically, his face began to show signs of worry, impatience, and anger.

/-/

Ren took a shower, and changed into fresh clothes he kept in Lory's mansion in case of some emergency.

He sat on the bed. 'I can't keep the blood I saw on the doorsteps a while ago out of my mind. I can't help but think of possible scenarios that caused that much loss of blood.' He sighed, and buried his face on his hands. 'Just when I thought that everything was going so well, this happens. Is this a sign that says that I don't deserve happiness in my life? That I don't deserve Kyoko?'

He reached for his phone and dialed a number.

"Moshi moshi?" the person spoke.

"Yashiro-san, please cancel all my appointments and plans for the next few days." He said, his voice tired and lifeless.

"What? Ren, what happened? Where are you? Is something wrong with Kyoko-chan?" said a worried Yashiro.

"Just cancel everything. This is important. Don't worry, I'm at the president's mansion." He ignored Yashiro's interrogations and protests and shut his phone.

He lay down on the bed, but still opened his eyes, knowing that he won't get any sleep. 'It was a good thing that Kyoko was able to think fast and leave a clue, or we might never be able to find her.' That thought sent shivers down his spine. 'When I find that guy that kidnapped her…' he clenched and unclenched his fists.

He stood up and went outside, headed towards Lory's office. He opened the door to find the president in a conversation on a phone with an angered expression. 'It's the first time I've seen him like this. I guess he's also grown very attached to Kyoko.'

"No!... I don't care!... Just find him! I want to know where he lives!..." Lory pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine… Alright… Arigatou…" he sighed, and dialed another number.

"Hello, detective? Have you found anything yet?... No?... Okay, I understand…." When he noticed Ren enter the room, he turned his attention to him.

"Ren, do you have any other clues on where this guy might have taken Mogami-kun?" Lory asked with a stressed appearance.

"No. When I arrived, I only saw a black car driving away, and then Kyoko's belongings scattered on the floor, covered with blood and glass shards. I guess it proves that she tried to struggle." His face showed pain as he remembered.

Lory's phone suddenly rang, and he immediately picked it up.

Ren walked to a window, and stared at the stars before he whispered, "Kyoko, please be safe."

* * *

I appreciate all those who took their time to review my story. It gives me lots of inspiration! thanks guys! :D:D

I'll update as soon as I can.. :D

Review! ^_^


	13. Chapter 13

The Course of Nature – ch 13

A/N: I do not own Skip Beat!

Please enjoy the story! :D

* * *

'_What is this? I only see darkness. Everything's black. I don't know where to go. It's starting to make me feel scared; I'm lost in this unknown world.'_ Kyoko walked around, not knowing what she's looking for or what she's scared of.

She looked around once again, but still, everything's the same: blackness. She felt trapped like a bird in a cage. It was suffocating. Kyoko started to panic, and started to run. More nothingness. It scared her to death. She couldn't do anything. She ran and ran and ran...She tripped and fell, and her knees got injured, but she didn't care. She wanted to escape this nightmare; she wanted to know what was happening to her, or where she is, or what she was doing here. She ran faster and faster.

Then, she heard a voice_. 'It seems to be coming from above.'_ She slowed her pace, and stopped running completely. She looked up, but it was still black. She looked confusedly at her surroundings, wondering where a voice she just heard came from. She momentarily forgot most of her fear, having found out that she's not alone.

She continued to walk aimlessly, but she heard voices this time, and the voices sounded different from before. "Who's there?" she said.

She waited for a reply, but nothing came.

"HEY!"

Still nothing.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?" she screamed, now feeling very annoyed. Her fear started to creep back on her body, and she was about to run again, but suddenly, she heard a _**PANG!, **_and then her head started to hurt.

"AAAAAHH!" she screamed in pain. She clutched her head, and knelt down on the floor, willing the pain to stop. "AHHH! STOP! STOP IT!" she screamed louder.

She continued to clutch her head, but the throbbing became worse. It was like her head was being cut into pieces again and again and again. She felt that there was some person, no persons, who are hitting her head simultaneously, repeatedly. Her mind couldn't focus anymore, and she didn't know what she was doing. She only wanted the pain to stop. It was the first time she felt this amount of physical pain.

"MAKE IT STOP!" she tried again.

"IT HURTS! STOP IT!" She screamed as loud as she can handle, hoping someone would hear and help her.

She screamed, and screamed, but all to no avail. She looked around with unfocused eyes, and then she bent lower towards the ground, tears falling on her face. "Please…" she whispered, her voice evident of the pain she's currently feeling. "Please stop…" she whispered again.

Then, as if someone was having fun with having to play with her, and torture her, the pain became worse.

It became too much to handle for Kyoko, so she screamed, and hit her head on the floor repeatedly, thinking that hurting herself would cause the pain to lessen. It didn't work, instead, she felt something wet dripping on her arms, face and hands.

She didn't have enough concentration to know what it was; all she cared about was to make the pain stop, but she did know that it smelled of rust, and tasted like metal. Then, she stopped pounding her head on the floor when she saw a light. It was not very bright, but it was enough to catch her attention in this darkness.

She winced, but then smiled tiredly when the pain started to subside slowly. When it stopped completely, she stood up and walked towards the light.

It was now very bright, and it became a little painful to the eyes, but Kyoko didn't care. She wanted to escape this hell, she wanted to avoid experiencing pain again. Suddenly, though, the light started to dim. Kyoko panicked, so she ran as fast as she can, hoping she can reach the light in time.

Fortunately, she was a fast runner, so she reached it. There was a problem, though.

She noticed that she couldn't move anymore. She felt numb all of a sudden. She tried to wiggle, but something was restraining her. She struggled again, but winced slightly when a pain shot through her head, and arms. She stopped and gave up. Instead, she noticed that she couldn't see properly.

She squinted, hoping it will help. It did, as she was able to make shapes of things. _'Chairs? Tables?'_ She looked around, confused. _'Where am I?'_ She adjusted her eyes for a minute until everything became clear, and she can properly see.

She was alone in a small and dusty room. It looked old, and unused, but, despite that, it was still fully furnished. She looked around, and saw that the room contained a wooden coffee table with two chairs. The floor was made of marble, and there was an old sofa in the corner. There was only one window, where light shines through.

She was about to stand up, but realized that something was restraining her. She looked down, and saw that she was tied to a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were tied on the legs of the chair. Her eyes widened as she noticed the blood stains on her ripped jeans and shirt. She flinched when pain shot through her arms, and she saw the deep cut.

'_Where am I? What am I doing here?'_ She looked up_. 'Why am I injured?'_ she stared blankly at the door, and tried to remember everything.

'_As far as I can remember… I was with Ren, and he wanted to drive me home. Then, he offered me to stay in his apartment because I was worried about the press.'_ Her forehead creased with confusion. _'He dropped me off after that conversation. I waited for his car to disappear, and when I was about to turn around….'_ He eyes widened as she recalled what happened next.

"That bastard." She said to no one in particular. _'I thought I could trust that Miyabe. Oh how wrong I was. DAMN HIM!'_ she was now consumed with rage and anger. 'How could he do this to me? WHAT DID I EVERY DO TO HIM?'

Then, she noticed that the door was slowly opening, and she focused her mind on the current situation. _'I shouldn't let my guard down. I don't know what they want from me, but I'm determined not to let them get it.'_

The door was now fully open, and the person stepped inside the room, wearing a smirk. "Well, I guess our little _**princess**_ is now awake." He said with a heavy amount of sarcasm.

"You… you… YOU DEMON!" Kyoko said with a voice full of anger, but she flinched when she felt the rope tighten around her wounded arm.

"Tsk tsk tsk… Now, now. You're still wounded; you shouldn't move too much." He said as he started approaching her.

"What do you want from me?" her voice dripping of venom, while she was glaring full force at Miyabe Takao.

He smiled evilly. "Nothing. Just…" he trailed off.

Kyoko looked confused but maintained her glare. "Just what?"

He smirked. "Your life." He laughed at Kyoko's surprised and fearful expression. "Don't worry. I won't take it RIGHT AWAY." He stopped in front of her, and touched her cheek, looking straight into her terrified eyes. "I WANT you to experience the real meaning of pain," he said with cold eyes.

He was about to stab Kyoko's leg, but her terrified expression made Takao laugh. _'He's worse than Natsu,' _Kyoko thought.

Kyoko was speechless for a moment, and then she jerked her head away from Takao's hand. "Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?" she said, managing to make her voice sound impassive, but her face betrayed a bit of fear.

Takao straightened up, and looked far away, "You didn't do anything, but your parents changed the course of my life." He became angry. "They took away what little I had. They took everything away everything precious to me."

Kyoko looked surprised. "My… pa… rents?" she whispered, confused as ever.

Takao looked directly at her, and looked mockingly at her. "Yes. Your parents." He said, before turning around and walking towards the door. "Oh, and be prepared for what will happen to you for the next few days." He turned his head around slightly, while his body was still towards the door, "But I promise you that you'll be begging me to take your life, instead." He smiled wickedly before he left.

Kyoko looked down, and started to tremble out of fear. "Wh-what t-the h-heck?" she whispered with a shaking voice. Her face was very pale, drained of blood, and her eyes were wide with fear.

/-/

Kyoko woke up to the pounding she could hear. She opened her eyes slightly, and blinked, until her eyes can fully adjust to the dark. She was taken to a different room, she could tell. Her clothes were full of X marks. She looked confused, as she focused her eyes on the person in front of her, and then her eyes widened.

The man smirked. "What's wrong? Are you scared of what I'd do to this?" he said as he pointed to his gun.

Kyoko composed herself. _'It's a good thing I'm an actress.' _"What do you want?" she said with anger.

"Aww, come on now. I just wanted to play a game. Don't worry; I'm sure I'd miss the vital points." Takao said as he aimed his gun at her, he paused. "That is… if I can control myself."

He pulled the trigger, and he smiled as the scream of pain echoed throughout the room.

/-/

"Anything?" Ren asked as he groggily walked towards Lory in his office.

Lory looked up from a stack of papers, and looked sadly at Ren. "I'm sorry, Ren."

Ren clenched his fist and looked down. His whole body was shaking with anger and frustration. He looked up, his eyes filled with hopelessness. "Can't we do anything?" he asked, desparate.

Lory looked down, unable to bear the sight of Ren breaking. "I think we should just wait. We might be able to get some more clues on the whereabouts of Mogami-kun."

"Wait?" Ren whispered. "WAIT?" he said, loud this time. "WE'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE LAST NIGHT!" he shouted angrily.

Lory stayed quiet for a moment, and then looked at Ren, who was about to get out of the office. "Ren, where are you going?" Lory said with a worried look, and then he stood up.

Without looking back, he stopped walking. "I'm going to find Kyoko." He was about to reach for the door, when Lory stopped him.

"And how are you going to do that?"

Ren looked at the president with rage. "I don't know, but here's the thing: I am NOT just going to stay here and wait. KYOKO'S LIFE IS ON THE LINE!"

"Onee-sama's… in… danger?"

Both looked over to the door that was now slightly open. Little Maria has been listening to their conversation, and now her eyes were as big as saucers.

/-/

"Ugh…" Kyoko was still in the dark room. Takao left the room an hour ago, very happy with what he did, leaving Kyoko crumpled on the floor.

She received a few gunshots on her legs and feet, so she won't be able to escape even if she wanted to. She lost quite an amount of blood, so she's struggling to remain conscious. She was now able to move a little bit more freely than before, since she wasn't tied to a chair anymore, although she still does have a handicap, considering the gunshots on her legs.

She ripped the sleeves of her clothing, and groaned, feeling the pain worsen. She tied them to her wounds in order to lessen the blood loss.

She crawled towards a corner in the room, and it was surprisingly hard for Kyoko. _'Ugh! My legs and feet are killing me! Why won't he just kill me?'_ she reached her goal, exhausted, and slumped against the wall.

She was breathing hard, and the only sounds being heard was her breathing, and the dripping of her sweat and blood. Kyoko shivered, as she felt the cold floor. _'What do I do now?'_ she thought. _'I can't just wait for someone to find me…'_ she sighed, and then winced. _'I shouldn't have left that message. Ren and the others might get hurt. Stupid! Stupid me!'_ she started pounding her head, and then winced again at the pain. _'Yeah… I really am stupid.'_

She gulped, and noticed for the first time that her throat was parched._ 'Well, I doubt they'd give me water._' She closed her eyes, and was about to fall asleep, when she heard the door creaking open.

Her eyes snapped back to attention, worry and fear consuming her.

"A-ano…" a boy's voice said.

Kyoko stayed quiet, too confused to reply. _'Why is there a child here? He's just about the same height as Hiou-kun.'_ she stopped, and thought for a moment, before she once again became afraid. _'Is he here to do something for that bastard?'_

The boy slowly walked towards Kyoko with something in his hand, while Kyoko tried her best to merge with the wall. He stopped in front of Kyoko and handed her a cup of liquid.

She just stared at the cup, not knowing what she should do_. 'Am I supposed to take it? Is that poison?'_ She looked at the boy, a bit suspicious.

"Erm… You can take it. I promise, it won't hurt you." The boy said, a bit timid and shy.

Kyoko still looked doubtful, so looked alternately at the boy, and then the cup, and then the boy again. '_Well, I am very thirsty, and I am going to get killed anyway._' She was a bit depressed at this thought, but she thinks that she can't do anything about it.

She carefully got the cup from the boy, all the while trying to not wince, and show any sign of pain. She drank the liquid, and then her eyes widened. _'Water?' _She looked confusedly at the boy, who was staring at her. She looked down, a bit embarrassed at being doubtful. "A-arigatou…" she whispered.

The boy blushed, and looked away. "No problem. Just… Just don't tell Miyabe-sama that I gave you water."

'_Hmmm… he doesn't seem like the kind of person to hurt people…'_ "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Kyoko asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I work for Miyabe-sama." He looked down, sad. "He picked me up on the street before, and offered me to work for him here."

Kyoko looked alarmed. "So.. you – "

The boy looked at Kyoko, waving his hands in front of him, and shaking his head in denial. "No, no! I don't help him with _**these**_ kinds of things." He looked down. "I tried to help a woman escape before. She was like a mother to me. She always listened to my concerns and took care of my wounds that I got from disobeying some of Miyabe-sama's orders. When the day to escape came, Miyabe-sama caught us, so he immediately killed the woman." He looked sad.

Kyoko sighed in relief. _'I knew this boy wasn't a demon…'_

The boy looked up and smiled slightly. "You know, you look kind of like her, except she has longer hair, and it was black. That's why I gave you the water." He paused. "I still can't forget about Saena kaa-sama."

Kyoko's head immediately shot up. "Sa-saena?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The boy looked at her, confusion apparent on his face. "Yes."

Her eyes widened. _'Mother? No, that can't be! There are a lot of people in this world who has that name. Yes, that must be it. Besides, the boy told me that the woman was motherly, and my mother wasn't anything like that.'_ She looked down, depression settling in.

"Uhm… Onee-san?"

"Huh? 'Onee-san'?" Kyoko asked, confused.

The boy blushed, and looked down. "We-well, it's j-just that. A-ano… you see…"

Kyoko smiled, and patted the boy on the head. She winced _'Okay, maybe that was a bad idea.'_ "It's alright. You can call me 'onee-san'. My name is Moga – Kyoko."

The boy smiled brightly at Kyoko, "Hai, Kyoko nee-san." Then, the door suddenly slammed open. "RYOTA!" a big man yelled.

"T-tatsuo-san" Ryota said in a scared voice.

"Get over here!" the big man said, and dragged Ryota towards the door by grabbing his ear. "Didn't Miyabe-sama tell us to stay away from here? If he finds out…" his voice trailed off as he disappeared.

Kyoko smiled slightly, before she sighed, and then winced again. '_I wonder if I will ever escape…'_ She closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep through the pain.


	14. Chapter 14

The Course of Nature – ch 14

Previous Chapter:

Ren looked at the president with rage. "I don't know, but here's the thing: I am NOT just going to stay here and wait. KYOKO'S LIFE IS ON THE LINE!"

"Onee-sama's… in… danger?"

Both looked over to the door that was now slightly open. Little Maria has been listening to their conversation, and now her eyes were as big as saucers.

"M-maria." Both men said, surprised.

Maria opened the door fully and walked over to them, tears threatening to fall. "Grandfather… onee-sama will be alright, won't she? She's just around here, right? Aren't you just lying? Huh, grandfather?" Lory just looked away from Maria. "Weren't you just joking?" she laughed mirthlessly. "Ren-sama?" she asked Ren with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry Maria, we'll save her." Ren said, trying to convince both Maria and himself.

Maria's tears now fell freely from her eyes. "What happened to onee-sama?" she said her voice cracking.

Lory crouched and carried Maria. He walked over to a sofa in the room, and carefully placed Maria on his lap. "Maria… Mogami-kun's been kidnapped…" he paused, trying to gauge his granddaughter's reaction.

Maria tried to keep a straight face. "We'll find her, won't we?"

Ren sat beside Lory and looked at the little girl with tired eyes. "I'm sure we will, right president?" he turned to look at Lory.

The president forced a smile. "Yes. That's right."

/-/

Yashiro was pacing in one of the halls in the LME building, deep in thought_. 'What happened with Ren? He sounded so… so depressed… and there was a hint of hopelessness… What in the world happened?'_ He stopped, and suddenly had an idea. _'Hmmm.. Maybe I can ask Kyoko-chan… I'll bet my wage that this has something to do with her.' _

He headed for the Love Me room. _'Maybe… Just maybe… They broke up?'_ He shook his head. _'That's just impossible. They just showed entire Japan how lovey-dovey they can be at the press conference yesterday.'_ He stepped into the elevator.

'_But what else would cause Ren to act this way?_' His thoughts were interrupted when he saw something pink at the corner of his eye. _'Kyoko-chan!'_ He stopped, and turned to follow the pink blob. _'She can tell me what happened.'_

He smiled as he walked towards the person, but was surprised when he met someone different. "Kotonami-san."

Kanae turned around, a bit angry for some reason. "Ah, Yashiro-san. Is there anything you need?" she said in an irritated tone.

'_Er, why is she angry?'_ "U-uhm. No, it's – " _' Hmm.. she might know something – she IS Kyoko-chan's best friend.'_ "uhm, do you know what happened to Kyoko-chan?" he asked with a smile, hoping to placate Kanae's anger.

Unfortunately it didn't work. She only became a lot angrier. "I don't know what happened to her or where she is, but when she comes back, I'll give her a piece of my mind for leaving me with this amount of work." She said, gesturing to the box she held.

"Oh. Is that so?" Yashiro looked disappointed.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Kanae asked, suddenly feeling weird.

Yashiro sighed. "You see, Ren called me last night. He told me to cancel all his appointments for the next few days, at least until he manages to fix this problem." He watched as Kanae took on a surprised face.

'_Hmm.. I never thought he'd even think of taking a few days off, especially with his workaholic attitude'_ Kanae thought. "So you think Kyoko's involved?"

He nodded. "Yes. She's the only one who can affect Ren like this." He paused and thought for a moment. "Although, it sounds kind of serious." He said.

Kanae looked alarmed. "Why?"

He looked down. "Well, when Ren called me, he said that he was at the president's mansion, and I doubt he'd go there just because of love problems." He paused, and then looked up with a worried expression. "Do you really have no idea on what happened to Kyoko-chan?"

Kanae suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling at the pit of her stomach. She shook her head. "I was just told by Sawara-san that he was called by the president saying that Kyoko was busy right now."

Yashiro's worry started to increase. "I think there's something wrong, Kotonami-san."

She nodded. "We should also head over to the president."

/-/

Kyoko felt groggy, as she opened her eyes from her nap. She groaned as she felt her whole body throb. _'Ugh! When are they going to get on with it?'_ She was surprised when the door suddenly opened, and Takao entered.

"What now?" she said, her fear completely disappeared. _'I'll die in the end, anyways. So no need to be afraid of pain.'_

Takao remained expressionless, as he fiddled with the sharp darts in his hands. "I just thought we can play another game." He smiled, and looked directly at Kyoko. "Although this time, I want you to be the one to control where it will hit."

Kyoko gulped. _'I have a bad feeling about this.'_ "Why are you doing this to me? I don't even know what my parents did to you! Heck, I don't even know where they are right now!" she spat.

Takao stared at her for a moment before he decided to reply. "Hmm… Looks like that is a problem." He leaned on the wall. "I'll tell you this, though: I've already done to your mother what I am about to do to you, and she's now somewhere with your bastard of a father." He said, his voice dripping with acid.

Kyoko was shocked. "You… You killed my mother?" she said, both angry and frustrated at the man. "What did she ever do to you? WHAT DID MY PARENTS EVRY DO TO YOU?" she screamed, tears of sadness threatening to fall.

He glared at Kyoko. "As I told you before, they made my life a living hell. They took everything I treasured." He looked at his darts again. "You know, you should be thankful."

"Huh?" Kyoko was confused. _'Thankful? Why? Because I'm about to be killed by a crazy bastard like you?'_

Takao looked at her with a smirk. "Because I became impatient with how long it took your mother to lead me to you, so that I can kill and torture you in front of her." He sighed. "I guess she found out I was following her, so she risked her life instead of me finding out where you are, and kill you."

Kyoko shivered, but remained confused. _'Mother did what? So, all those times that she wasn't at home was because she was… protecting me?'_ tears of happiness fell from her eyes. _'So mother does care for me after all.' _Then, she looked angrily at Takao. _'and this piece of trash killed her.'_

"Awww… The little girl's getting all sad." He laughed. "Don't get all happy, because I still managed to find you." He looked directly at her, a small smile playing at his lips. "Do you remember what I told you before on why I joined a company, even if I find it boring?" Kyoko nodded cautiously.

"Well, that was so that I can have the connections needed to track you and your mother down and also, to keep my information hidden as much as possible, so that when times like this come, no one can find this place and save you." He smiled evilly.

"You're worse than the devil. How can your conscience do this?" Kyoko shouted, trying to get some sense into him _'Not that it would work, considering how crazy this punk already is.'_

He took on a lifeless expression. "I have no conscience. I continue to live only for the sole purpose of killing you and your mother; I only want to get my revenge."

Kyoko looked surprised and scared at the same time at the blank look Takao gave her. _'How can he have such empty eyes? It almost seemed as if he's not human. Is that what revenge did to him?'_ she shivered. _'I don't understand this person. He looks so… empty… and lonely… What happened to him that made him like this? Is it because of my mother and father? What did they do?'_

Takao shook himself out of his reverie and smiled his usual, cruel and merciless smile. "Now, enough talk. It's getting boring. I want some entertainment." He picked a dart.

"Okay, so if you answer my questions correctly, I won't hit the painful parts, but if you don't, well, you know what happens next." He smirked. "Hmmm.. first question: Why are you here?"

Kyoko was outraged. "You crazy punk! Stop this right now! I don't want to play your stupid games!"

"Tsk tsk tsk. A VERY wrong answer. I guess you're being considerate, because this way, I can have more fun." He smiled, and aimed at Kyoko's neck.

/-/

"Let us in." Kane said harshly, trying to pass through the guards to get in to the mansion. "I told you. We're here to see President Takarada Lory. We have some important business to talk about." She glared at the guard, starting to get more impatient.

"Look, Miss, you should just wait until the boss gives out his orders. We're still asking him if he knows you." The guard replied indifferently.

"That's what I'm saying. I KNOW HIM. I work at his company. Now, if you'll just be a good boy, and let us through, everything will be done." She said.

"Yes. This is very urgent. WE need to see the president imme-" Yashiro was interrupted when another guard came and told them that the president is waiting for them at his office.

"Finally!" Both Yashiro and Kanae said at the same time.

They went inside, but had no time to appreciate the grandness of the mansion, for they had more important worries to handle. They walked to the first hallway they saw when they entered at the right side. They walked to the end of the hall, and knocked at the door.

"Come in." A dull, and stressed voice of a familiar person said.

The two people looked at each other, confused on who might be the person who just told them to come in. They were both surprised when they found out that it was the president. This time, he wasn't wearing anything weird or flamboyant. He was just wearing a dark GREY suit. He was seated on the couch with Maria and Ren.

Maria's eyes were red from crying so much, over her worry and fears. Ren, on the other hand, was on the couch, his face buried in his hands, trying to hold himself together. He was shaking, out of anger or fear, they didn't know.

'_Something is wrong. VERY WRONG.'_ Both Yashiro and Kanae thought.

Kanae spoke first, worry plastered on her face. "What happened to Kyoko?"

Ren looked up, and Kanae gasped at the expression on his face. _'I've never seen him without his mask before. This just looks… horrible. He looks horrified, hopeless, angry, and worried.' _Kanae, again felt the unsettling feeling inside her. '_I'm sure Kyoko is in a very dangerous situation,'_ she thought with dread.

'_Ren… I've never seen you like this before.'_ Yashiro thought. _'Kyoko-chan, I hope you're okay.'_

/-/

"Kyoko's WHAT?" Kanae said, horrified.

Lory nodded sadly. "Ren found this when he attempted to save Kyoko." He handed them the bloody business card with a message.

Yashiro and Kanae's eyes widened. Kanae collapsed on the chair, not knowing what to do. "Kyoko…" she whispered.

"So does this mean that this Miyabe Takao kidnapped her?" Yashiro asked.

"Yes." Ren answered, still very lifeless.

Yashiro sighed. "Seeing that this card has Kyoko-chan's blood in it, we should move fast, because it seems like this person isn't going to hold back if he feels like it. Have you found anything yet?"

Lory sighed this time. He shook his head, "No, but we're trying. I'm doing my best to find something, but it seems that this person is very powerf – " his phone rang.

He glanced at it, and his eyes widened. "I need to take this call."

Not waiting for their reply, he snatched the phone, and immediately opened it. "Hello?... Hai…. Hai….." He paused and visibly brightened. "Really?" he asked in a more cheerful tone.

Everyone in the room looked at him, all hoping that it's something that can help them.

"Arigatou…. Yes, please send him in…." he closed his phone, and sighed in relief.

He looked at all the occupants in the room, and smiled slightly. "I think we found someone that can help us."

The door opened, and it revealed a little boy full of bruises, and scars.


	15. Chapter 15

The Course of Nature – ch 15

**A/N: I do not own Skip Beat!**

**Thanks for every who has been reviewing, alerting and favorite-ing.. It really boosts my spirits! :D**

**I'm sorry I couldn't update often.. I had such hectic weeks.. not to worry, though.. summer is almost near! Anyway.. need to study for my periodical exams now.. ::**

**Enjoy! :)  
**

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Takao sat on a chair in a room. He was smoking while staring blankly ahead. _'Hmmm.. so she doesn't know why I'm doing this, eh? Well, I guess it's because her mother was so protective of her child, that she stayed away from her daughter as much as possible, even if it means that she'd be hated.'_

He looked sad as he remembered everything that happened in the past. _'I could never forget what happened that time. The promise I made… Never…'_

**Flashback…**

"Mom! Mom! Where are you going?" a boy with an age around 8 years old asked, running to a woman in her 20s wearing jeans and a red shirt, with her hair tied up in a pony tail.

"I'm just going to do some work, sweetie." Her expression turned to one of pain and anguish as she remembered something in her past.

The boy looked at his mother, trying to hold back some tears at seeing his own mother in pain. "Mom, don't worry. Please don't feel hurt." The little boy pleaded.

The mother smiled sadly at her son and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Alright, but take care of yourself. Your grandma and grandpa will arrive in a few minutes." She stood up and headed towards the door. "Don't talk to strangers, okay?" and she left the house.

/-/

_**Piiter! Patter! Pitter! Patter!**_

It was raining hard outside, and the sun has already set. The house was already illuminated by the fluorescent lights, as the little boy from earlier sat on the sofa, watching TV. With the remote in his hand, he lying on the sofa, with his feet dangling at the edge.

"Hmmm… I wonder what's taking grandma and grandpa so long. It's already dark…"

Moments later, the doorbell rang. The boy turned off the television and walked to the door, hoping to see his grandparents, as he was getting a bit lonely at staying in the house all alone. Although eager to open the door and welcome his grandparents, he still had to be cautious as he remembered the warning of her mother earlier in the day. He looked through the hole in the door, and sure enough, it was his grandma. He instantly brightened and immediately opened the door hastily.

He hadn't expected the scene before him to be like this, though. His grandparents' hands were held together by a lady clad in black leather pants, and a black, fitted shirt. Her long hair reached up to her waist, with a band at the top of her forehead, keeping her hair away from her face. She looked carefully at the boy, as if inspecting him with her eyes.

"Takao!" his grandmother cried.

"Where's your mother, Takao-kun?" the lady said, obviously trying hard to remain friendly.

Takao, though, tried to act tough. "What do you want with my mother?"

"It's not something you need to know. Now, tell me where your mother is." This time, her voice had a hint of hostility.

He crossed his arms, determined to remain stubborn. "I won't tell you where she is. She's not here, though. Now, let go of grandpa and grandma." His voice commanding.

The lady sneered, and ignored the boy, walking past him and inside the house. She closed and locked the door, and took the old couple and the little boy in the living room.

She inspected the house carefully, taking in every detail, and made sure that no one else was around. She returned her attention back to the old couple, and let out a sigh.

"Look. I'm not here to hurt you all. I'm here to find and arrest Miyabe Akane."

The eyes of the people in the room grew as wide as saucers. The old man spoke first, "Arrest? On what charges?"

"Miyabe-san has been exporting illegal weapons… and also… committed murder," the lady answered with a stoic face.

The little boy did not know what they were talking about, but was still very wary of the tall lady in their house. _'She wants to see mom, but why? Arrest? What's arrest? Is she going to take her away from me, just like how my dad was taken from me?' _His eyes widened, and he suddenly felt the anger bubble up inside of him. He ran towards the lady, and he found a wooden stick ready to use it as a weapon against her. "No! No! Don't take my mom away from me! I won't let you! Get out of here!" he said, all the while trying to hit her.

The lady became annoyed and grabbed the stick from his hands. "Why you little – " her sentence was cut short when she heard some movement outside the home. She reached for her phone and called someone.

"Yes… Yes… I'm already here… Yes… I heard some movement outside… Someone's coming… Alright… I get it… Prepare to take action " Her face looked stern, and then she shut her phone, and mumbled, "I won't let you get away this time."

She led the old couple and the little boy in a room upstairs. "No matter what happens, do not leave this room. It will be too dangerous." She gave them one last look, and went outside.

Takao, however, couldn't stay put_. 'What's happening? Mom should be arriving home soon. I have to get out of here._' He waited for a chance to escape, and when he found his grandparents distracted, he immediately went through the door and ran downstairs.

Everything was dark, as the lights were turned off. He heard some noise from the backyard. Thinking it to be his mom, he went to the kitchen and went to the back door. As he opened the door, he was suddenly grabbed from behind and a hand was placed on his mouth to muffle his scream. He turned to look at the person, and realized soon that it was his mom, covered with cuts, and was bleeding badly on the right shoulder.

His eyes grew wide, and he hugged her. He whispered, "Mom, are you alright?"

Akane flinched as she felt pain on her right shoulder, and smiled at the boy in her arms. "I'm fine, son. I just need to tell you something before they get to me. You need to know the truth." The little boy turned to look at his mother, his face attentive. "Do you remember the story I told you about your father? The one where he killed himself because of the people who caught him?" he nodded. Akane took a deep breath. "You see, the people responsible for that are the ones that are trying to capture and arrest me now. They were able to find out where I live." Akane paused, and looked at her son, trying to gauge his reaction.

Suddenly, they heard a gunshot, followed by a woman saying, "Akane, get out of your hiding place now! I know you're here!"

Akane and Takao flinched at the sound, and suddenly started to panic. "Look, Takao. They want me to be away from you. They're going to take me away from you! Do you understand? They want to get rid of me!" she hugged his son tightly. "But I don't want to leave you, Takao! I don't want to!"

The boy's eyes grew wide as he processed this information. He was about to look at her mom, when suddenly, the same lady from before appeared, and separated Takao from his mom. "TAKAO! TAKAO!" his mom yelled, struggling to get free. She was about to fight the one who captured her, but when she caught sight of the face of her captor, her eyes widened, "Sa… Saena?" she whispered, and paused for a few moments to process her thoughts. "Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

The lady looked at her with scorn and rage on her face. "WHY? YOU ASK ME WHY? YOU BITCH! YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND! YOU KILLED HIM!" tears of anguish fell from her eyes, as she clenched her hands, holding onto Akane's clothes, into fists. "AND NOW YOU DARE ASK ME WHY?"

Akane looked surprised, "Husband?"

"Yes. Doesn't the name 'Mogami' ring a bell!" She spat, her voice full of venom.

Akane's eyes grew wide for a second, before it narrowed to slits. "So you're the wife of that bastard; the BASTARD WHO-"

Her sentenced was cut when she was slapped on the cheek by Saena. "DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM A BASTARD! HE WASN'T THE REASON THAT YOUR HUSBAND DIED! YOU'RE HUSBAND COMMITTED SUICIDE!"

Akane's became consumed with rage. "IT WASN'T HIS FAULT! IF YOU'RE LITTLE BASTARD OF A HUSBAND DIDN'T ARREST HIM, HE WOULDN'T HAVE DIED!"

Saena stopped listening to Akane when a big man approached them. "You take care of her," she said, walked away and left them alone.

The little boy who watched the whole exchange was consumed was filled with anger. "NO! HOW DARE YOU! YOU! YOU WITCH!" Takao yelled at the lady who dared try to take her mom away from him, trying to get away from the man who held him from behind. Tears started to fall down his cheek, as he watched his mom be taken away in a car…

_3 weeks later…_

Takao wore an expressionless face as he looked down at his mother, lying down on a hospital bed. He saw lots of cuts, scars and bruises on every part of her exposed skin. She looked very, very pale and weak. Her bloodshot eyes were wide open, but were unseeing. He held one of her hands, and felt the cold temperature. After moments of silence, he began to feel uneasy – being ignored by his mom – and tried to get his mother's attention. He shook her shoulders.

"Mom? Mom… Mom… Mom.. MOM! MOOM!" he took his mom's face in his hands, and made her look in his direction. He was startled with how cold her face was, and he stopped yelling. He stared at her face for a moment until realization finally came forth.

Suddenly, Takao fell down on his knees, tears silently falling. "What did they do to you, mom? How dare they do this to you?" he whispered. He cried his eyes out beside his mom (kneeling on the floor beside the hospital bed), all the while holding her hand close to his face.

Minutes passed, and people arrived to start taking his mom. He stared after them, until they got farther and farther away from him. When his mom's body was out of sight, he clenched his fists and looked down at the floor. "Don't worry mother, I'll avenge you. I promise I will, even if it costs my life. I will make them suffer, just like how we suffered, how you suffered." He looked up, rage consuming his whole being. "One day, I swear I'll get my revenge, Mogami Saena. One day…"

**End of Flashback…**

Takao laughed bitterly. _'And now, the time has come for me to fulfill that promise.'_ He looked up. _'Don't worry mother, I'm almost there.' _He smiled sadly.

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**Please do not forget to drop a review... :D:D I would really appreciate it.. :)**

**bye guys!**

**-thexz09  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Course of Nature**

**I AM SOOOOOO SORRY! Gomen gomen gomen! *bows down repeatedly* I haven't been able to upload recently due to some school business (naemly college stuff), and then my laptop broke.. so... I AM SOOOOOOO SORRYYYY!**

**Anyway, I hope that you'd be able to enjoy this chapter.. I am once again sorry..**

CHAPTER 16

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_Flashback of Chapter 14:_

_He looked at all the occupants in the room, and smiled slightly. "I think we found someone that can help us."_

_The door opened, and it revealed a little boy full of bruises, and scars._

Everyone looked towards the boy who had just appeared. They all looked skeptical.

Maria approached the boy first, and said, "Do you know anything about Kyoko nee-sama?" she asked, a bit doubtful of the boy.

The boy looked at her, confused, before realization sunk in. He smiled sadly. "Hai. I was with Kyoko nee-san this morning." He looked down. "I can't bear to watch another one of the people I care about be killed by Miyabe-sama, just like Saena kaa-san" Tears strolled down his face. "Even if he was the one who picked me up. I can't handle it anymore."

Ren, Lory, Kanae, Yashiro, and Maria all looked sympathetically at the boy. He looked as he was suffering himself. It showed on his face and body language how it hurt him to keep this much to himself all throughout the years.

Ren approached him and led him to the couch. "What's your name?" he asked as nicely as he could even with his growing impatience. He just couldn't stand to relax with Kyoko still somewhere in danger.

"R-Ryota." He said, a bit scared of what these people might do to him or his onee-san.

"Don't be scared, Ryota-kun." This time, Lory approached him. "We're going to save your onee-san, so don't worry." He smiled.

"Yes, please save nee-san." He said with pleading eyes.

Kanae smiled at the little boy, glad that he cared so much for her best friend. "Is Kyoko alright?" she asked with a hint of tremble in her voice. Though she is an actress, with all the exhaustion and frustration she felt, it was hard for her to hide all of her feelings.

Ryota looked down. "She was badly injured when I gave her water this morning."

"What were her injuries?" Yashiro asked immediately as his eyes widened in fear and worry.

"Her legs and feet were shot with a gun, and her arms were cut deeply with a knife." He looked at them with teary eyes – guilty. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop Miyabe-sama. It's just that I was so scared that Miyabe-sama would change his mind about torturing her first, and would kill her immediately, instead." He said with tears in his eyes.

Everyone in the room looked outraged.

"Torture? What torture? What in the damn world does he want from MY Kyoko? How dare HE touch and harm her?" Ren asked, trying to remain calm, but failing. His eyes were flaring. It looked as if his whole body is going to explode any second. He was as mad as was possible.

Ryota, though scared out of his wits at Ren's outburst, shook his head. "I don't know what he wants from onee-san, but I know that he only kidnapped her for the purpose of torturing her," he gulped, and pushed back his tears, as he whispered, "…then killing her."

Silence enveloped the room as everyone tried to register what the boy said. Ren was once again about to shout when Lory put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him. It would do them no good if their only source of information would run away, scared.

"When does he plan to kill her?" Lory asked, urging the little boy to tell them more. It would be more helpful if they knew when. That way, they can make a smooth plan, and know how fast they should move.

"He has no definite plan; he wants to have fun for a while, but I think that if we don't save onee-san soon, she…" he gulped. "she might _die_." His voice broke. It sounded strained, as if it was hard for him to talk about this. "Miyabe-sama has a bad temper, and if he gets provoked he won't hesitate to kill onee-san." He looked down at his hands, helpless.

"Do you know where they are?" Ren asked, now a bit more calm.

The boy nodded.

"Ren." Yashiro warned. "You shouldn't make hasty decisions. You heard what he said – if something provokes that Miyabe, he won't hesitate to kill Kyoko. We have to be careful, and plan this out carefully."

Ok, that was the last straw for Ren's bad temper. "BUT WHAT ABOUT KYOKO? Ryota-kun ALSO said that MIyabe only wanted to have fun for a WHILE. What if he suddenly decides to kill her? We won't be able to do anything!" he was now full of anger and panic.

"Ren, Yashiro's right. We should think this over. It would be a lot wiser." Lory spoke up, seeing that Ren was losing his control.

"But – " he started to protest again, when Kanae stood up, and slapped him. Her eyes were moist.

"But WHAT? All of us here are also worried for Kyoko! Do you think you're the only one that wants to go there right now, and kick the ass of that… that bastard?" Kanae let out all of her frustration, as tears now fell on her face.

"If it won't be dangerous for Kyoko, I'd gladly go there right now, even if it costs my life! But use your head! If we go there right now, there's no saying that he'll start to suspect Kyoko, and he'll kill her right away, afraid that his prey would get away! So stop all your nonsense!" She spat at Ren.

Ren looked at her with surprise – surprise for having the nerve to slap him hard on the face, and standing up against him. This was one fierce woman. Ren sighed, and sat on the chair, defeated. As much as he hated to admit it, Kanae was right. He wouldn't want to put Kyoko in a more dangerous situation. "Alright, what's the plan?"

Lory was about to speak up, when two VERY unexpected guests arrived.

"BOSS! WHERE'S OUR KUON?" shouted two very distinguished people. The female looked teary eyed at Ren, not even noticing the serious atmosphere or the weird looks everyone's throwing their way.

"U-uhm… Honey, I don't think this is such a good time. I think we should head back – " Kuu said, but was interrupted by his gorgeous wife.

"What do you mean we should head back? I haven't seen my son for years! Now that he's here," Julie pointed at Ren. "I won't leave – "

Kuu whispered something in her ear, and then she looked around. She noticed, for the first time, everyone in the room. Also, she just noticed that there were two girls who were crying their eyes out (Maria and Kanae), and there were three men (Ren, Yashiro, Lory) and a little boy (Ryota) who looked stressed and full of worry.

Julie blushed, "Ah, I'm sorry. Did we come at a bad time?"

Ren glared their way, and both Kuu and Julie were surprised at this treatment. They knew how hard Ren tried to keep up his mask, and seeing him this way, they knew that something very bad happened.

Kuu spoke up, knowing that this had something to do with his adopted daughter. _'Knowing Kuon, this has something to do with Kyoko. Plus, there's a girl here who has that same weird uniform as my daughter.'_ "What happened to Kyoko?" he said in a serious and concerned voice.

Julie looked at Kuu, confused. "Kyoko? The girl you told me about? What does this have to do with her?" She was about to ask another question, when she looked at the people in the office, and finally understood that this was a very serious matter involving the girl liked by everyone, including herself, though she hasn't met the girl in person yet.

Everyone else looked at the floor, both depressed and annoyed, but mostly depressed.

/-/

Kuu looked worriedly at his son_. 'I've never seen him like this, since he was fifteen. He looks so… so broken.'_ He turned his attention back to the president. "I'd love to help with your plan, but I don't think I can do that much."

Julie, on the other hand, was hugging Ren tightly, trying to comfort him. Everyone in the room paid no attention, though, knowing that this wasn't the right time for interrogation. They'd have lots of time for that later. Right now, what mattered most was Kyoko's safety.

"No, it's alright. Actually, we were originally planning to only let a few people go there inside. It's very risky, but the chances of the plan working are high. Let's just hope that Mogami-kun can hold her ground until then." Lory said with a serious voice.

"I'll save Kyoko inside." Ren said. His voice was so full of firmness that no one dared object.

"Why did this person plan to kill Kyoko?" Julie asked with concern. "I mean, I don't think she's the type of person people would want to kill, so why her?"

"We don't know either. It's kind of confusing, actually, because it looked like this person planned this out a long time ago." Lory said, speculative.

All of them looked at him, surprised, all faces screaming, "WHY?"

"You see, in his records, I noticed that he focused on strengthening his connections on people he can use in future situations like this one: being able to hide all the information about him. I also heard that he really had no interest in his job, but he looked forward to the results it would bring. He's been working so hard for this ever since he was young." Lory explained.

"If that's the case, then wouldn't it mean that it all started back in the past? Probably during Kyoko's childhood? Or maybe it's something connected to her parents?" Kuu said.

"But how can that be?" Ren asked, knowing more than anyone that Kyoko was hated by her only parent, and then he suddenly remembered something Ryota mentioned. "Ryota-kun." He turned towards the little boy. "You said something a while ago about this not being the first time it happened. Has he killed others before?"

The boy nodded, sad. "He once killed Saena kaa-sama. I don't know why, but the process of killing her was the same as Kyoko nee-san's."

"Can you describe this 'Saena kaa-san'?" Yashiro asked.

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, "Actually, she looks very much like Kyoko nee-sama, except for the hair. Saena kaa-san had black hair. Both of them have the same body structure, and they both have golden eyes." He smiled a teary smile as he remembered his "mom."

Ren looked at Ryota, a bit dumbfounded. _'Is it possible that it was Kyoko's mother? I remember that Kyoko's mother's name was Saena, but there are a lot of Sanea's here in Japan. But if it is HER, what would the kidnapper want from Kyoko that has something to do with this Saena?'_

"Don't you think that was her mother?" Kanae asked.

"Probably. There's actually a big chance of that happening." Lory said.

"We still can't be sure that she was Kyoko's mother, though." Julie said.

Ren looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, I'm sure that's her mother."

"How can you be so sure? Have you seen her before?" Kanae asked.

"Kyoko used to tell me about her mother when we were kids, and the name is the same, 'Saena'. Also, the possibility that she's connected to Kyoko is very high, seeing that they are both being targeted by Miyabe." Ren said.

They looked confusedly at Ren, who said that he met Kyoko when they were young, but decided to brush it off for now.

"Anyway, we don't have time for this. We can find about the reason, after we save Kyoko." Kanae said.

"Yes. You're right. We need to hurry." Lory picked up his phone and made a few calls, and then said. "Eveything's set."

" Let's move fast; I'm starting to feel worried about Kyoko. I'm having this uncomfortable feeling in my chest." Ren said, his face full of worry.

/-/

Takao was in his office, rummaging in a box full of weapons. "Hmmm…. Where was that?... Ah! Here it is!" he said, triumphant, as he pulled out a gun. "Now, Mogami Kyoko, I think you've had enough torture. It's time to say goodbye, don't you think so?. Besides, I haven't been able to use this gun, since I killed your mother."

He caressed the gun with his hands. "And I'm very excited to use it." He smiled.

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**I am sorry. I'll try to update faster, but I don't want to make any promises.. My schedule is kind of busy...**

**Also, I'd like to thank the people who continue to support this story. I appreciate it A LOT. It gives me the motivation to keep on going.. THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH! :D:D**

**I love you guys! :)**

**-thexz09**


	17. Chapter 17

**The Course of Nature**

Enjoy! ^_^

Ren sighed. _'Why did they have to come at such a bad time? And why did I have to go on the same car as them?'_ he thought as he glanced at his parents. They were now headed towards Kyoko's location, and everyone concerned already rode on a car, as the place was a bit far.

"Why are you guys here again?" he asked, exasperated.

"We wanted to see you, of course." Julie answered immediately. "We wanted it to be a surprise, so we didn't tell anyone."

"Well you definitely SURPRISED us." He sighed again. "Now I'm very sure that I've got a lot of explaining to do after this incident." He paused, and smiled sadly. "It doesn't matter, though, as long as Kyoko is alright."

Kuu, understanding his feelings, placed his hand on Ren's shoulder. "Don't worry, son. I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, you and the others have planned this very well."

"I just hope we're not too late when we get there." He said.

Julie observed her son for a moment before she spoke softly. "You… love her very much, don't you?"

He smiled angelically. "Yes. Ever since I met her in Kyoto when we were young."

Both parents looked at their son, surprised. "You both met in Kyoto when you were young?" they asked simultaneously.

Ren nodded.

"How?" Kuu asked, suddenly struck with curiosity. "You were with us the whole time we went there. You only left when you said you had to go to the forest to meet – " then realization finally hit him. "Oh." He grinned. "So, she was the one you've been so eager to meet when you were so young."

Even under these grave circumstances, Kuon's parents still can find the time to actually tease their son. It is an act to actually make their son feel better, even just a little bit.

Julie looked at her husband and her son. "Hey, what are you talking about? I feel out of place here, you know." She pouted, and crossed her arms in front of her. "First, both of you already met Kyoko, and now you're talking about things I don't understand."

Kuu chuckled and comforted his wife. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure that we'll have a lot of time to catch up with Kuon's stories. Right now, we need to concentrate on the current situation."

"Fine." Julie replied.

Ren sighed again.

/-/

Kyoko stared blankly at the wall opposite her, feeling hopeless. _'I don't want to think that someone would be able to save me. I wouldn't want that hope to be crushed, and I wouldn't want the people I care about to get into this mess just because of me.'_ A tear escaped her eyes.

'_I'm sorry, everyone. I wasn't able to fight for my freedom. I really am just useless. I'm sorry for not being able to save this life you protected so much, okaa-san, otou-san. I'm really very sorry.'_

More tears started to fall as she thought of the things she'd leave behind. _'Moko-san, I hope you'd be able to become the great actress you've always wanted to be. I'm sure you can do it – with your amazing skills. I'm sure you'll graduate from the Love Me section soon. I wish I can personally thank you for all the things you've done for me – for staying by my side, and putting up with my foolish actions. You were always there for me. You're my first ever friend, and best friend.' _She smiled sadly. _' I'm sorry Takarada-shachou that the first member of the LoveMe section won't be able to graduate. I know that I wasn't as willing as I should've been to join the section, but I would like to tell you how much it meant to me. It gave me the opportunity to meet lots of people and that changed my life. I learned to love and to be loved.'_

'_Kuu tou-san, I'm sorry that I won't be able to play more roles from now on, and that I won't be able to cook lots of food for you. I really hope that I could meet your wife, but I guess that's impossible now. I hope that one day, you'd be able to find your son, and be happy with him._

'_Maria, I hope that one day, you'd become a great person, and you'd be able to overcome your fears, and learn to trust your father. I'm sure your mother loves you very much, and wishes that you'd be happy no matter what. I know she doesn't blame you on what befell her. It was just an accident._

'_As for Yashiro-san, remember to always make Ren eat, even if he refuses. '_ She giggled without mirth. _'I hope you would find a partner in life that you deserve and be happy with.'_

'_Corn… wherever you are… I hope that you can fly freely now, and that your wings have fully grown. I wish that you're happy. I really wished to meet you again, and say a proper goodbye, and congratulate you on your job well done, but… Nonetheless, I've always treasured our memories together.'_

'_And Ren… I hope that you'd still become a great actor and serve as an inspiration for people like me. Do your best in everything you do, and become a world-renowned actor. Also, I hope you never forget to stock your refrigerator with food. You should keep healthy. I hope that in my next life, we would be able to meet again, and when that happens, I hope I can make the most out of it, with that time being spent with you – loving you, cherishing you.'_ She started to sob quietly. _'Even if I disappear from this world, I hope that you'd be happy. I know that you will blame yourself for my departure, though you are not in any way at fault. If it is possible… and… if it would make you happy… I'd want you… to find a woman that you'd love with all of your heart… even if… it means forgetting about me… As long as you're happy… it won't matter… I love you with all of my heart… and I do not wish for you to suffer… no matter what happens….' _Kyoko started to sob louder._ 'Most of all, though, please forgive me… forgive me… forgive me… forgive me… for… not saying goodbye before I go... I wish I can see you again one last time…'_

"I love you, Ren." Kyoko whispered, as she continued to cry – hopeless. "How stupid! No one's going to hear my thoughts – no matter how much I try!" She cried. She felt heartbroken, sad, frustrated, angry, and other conflicting emotions.

She stopped and lifted her head when she heard a _click._

"Hmmm…. Seems like you're already very aware of your situation right now, huh?" Takao smirked.

Kyoko immediately wiped the tears from her face, and stopped her crying. She is an actress, so she could do that easily. She glared at Takao.

"Eh? Is that the last look you're going to show me before you completely leave this world?" he asked in sad, mocking voice.

Kyoko didn't change her expression, and also didn't reply – she just continued to glare.

"Stubborn, are we?" he smirked. "Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway."

He aimed his gun at Kyoko's head. "Goodbye forever, Mogami Kyoko. Say hi to your parents for me." He smiled maliciously – his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

A shot was heard, as well as a cry of pain.

/-/

"Is everything ready?" Ren asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Alright. Ryota-kun?" Lory called out to the little nervous boy.

He looked up, fear evident in his eyes. "H-hai?"

Lory smiled tenderly at him. "Don't worry – she'll be fine. Are you sure they don't know you left?"

"Very much, sir. They thought I just bought some bread for Miyabe-sama. They won't suspect a thing." He said.

"Okay, then. Follow the plan, alright?"

"Yes, sir. Trust me!" he saluted, and was about to walk away when Lory called him again.

"Ryota-kun!" he called.

Ryota turned around to face the man. "Hai?"

Lory smiled. "After this incident, would you like to quit your current job, and let us help you?"

Ryota brightened as much as the situation could permit. "Really? You really mean it?" he asked.

Lory nodded.

The little boy smiled wider. "Oh, thank you so much, sir! Thank you very, very, very much!"

"Call me 'uncle'. I insist." Lory smiled.

"Hai, uncle." He smiled back, and ran happily towards the others.

/-/

Takao was surprised at the sound of the gun shot, that he missed his target, Kyoko's head, and shot her heart instead. _'Hmph… Well, I guess that's good enough. Who interrupted me, though?' _He thought angrily, and his eyes widened as he saw people surrounding him. More specifically, the police. _'I wonder why this feels so familiar… Oh, yeah… Well, I guess it's the fate of our family to be arrested by the police.' _He thought with a bit of humor. Now that he accomplished his goal, he really didn't plan anything for himself. He didn't care if he died or get thrown into jail.

"Who are you people? What are you doing in my house? How did you get here?" he asked with a cold demeanor, not even the least bit fazed by their appearance. _'At least that girl is dead. It was a good thing I made the decision to kill her already.'_

Kyoko, on the other hand, collapsed on the floor, and whispered a few words to a tall, handsome man next to her. "I love you, and I'm sorry I couldn't…" she took a sharp intake of breath. "protect myself."

The man, in turn, also whispered a few words, "Ssssh… I love you ,too, Kyoko. Don't stress yourself. You'll be fine, don't worry. I'm right here." He kissed her forehead, and then, Kyoko closed her eyes.

Ren brushed a few strands of hair from her face, and then suddenly felt all his anger bubble up inside him, and was now threatening to be released. He reluctantly left Kyoko's side and stood up, went immediately to Takao. "YOU BASTARD!" he immediately punched his face as soon as he turned around. Takao's gun fell from his hands and slid towards the police, who in turn, picked it up.

Takao fell on the ground at the impact, and wiped the blood off his mouth. He smirked at Ren. "What? You arrived too late, so you put the blame on me? Isn't that a bit too cruel?"

"Why you little!" He grabbed Takao by the collar and forcefully made him stand up.

He punched his stomach, trying to rid of the feelings of pain, loss, and hurt he's feeling by punching the man who was the cause of all of this.

Takao coughed out more blood, but he still remained smiling.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU SO HAPPY ABOUT?" He punched him again, this time breaking his nose. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" He punched Takao again and again.

Takao suddenly laughed, which caused Ren to punch harder. When Ren paused, Takao weakly lifted his head. "You know, it might not be a bad idea to be killed right now, so that I'd be able to torture Kyoko even while we're on the other world."

Ren was consumed with rage. He clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white. "What makes you think she'll leave this world?" he said dangerously.

Takao sneered. "Heh. Isn't it obvious? Look at her now. She's now just a pile of trash – a corpse ready to be buried."

Ren was about to punch him to death, when a police officer who had enough guts to stand up to Ren, stepped forward and restrained him.

"LET ME GO!" Ren said, struggling hard. "I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to do that, and the young lady over there needs to be taken to the hospital right away. We'll take care of things here." The police said, as he gestured towards Kyoko.

Ren's rage was immediately replaced with panic and worry, as he rushed towards Kyoko. He looked worriedly at the love of his life. Every exposed skin in her body was full of cuts and bruises. There were also some gunshots. _'Kyoko did well in trying to stop the amount of blood loss, but I have to take her to the hospital immediately.'_

He picked her up bridal style, kissed her on the forehead, and immediately checked her pulse.

Ren froze. There was no pulse.

Thanks for all the reviews! :D

Love you al!

-thexz09


	18. Chapter 18

**The Course of Nature**

**thexz 09**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat!**

**A/N: I'm so sorry. I really hope you're still interested in the story, considering how long I was unable to update this story. For some unknown reason, I wasn't able to log into my account for a long time. Thank God I can now log in and update my story. Thank you for your reviews and messages encouraging me to continue this story. Those really made me happy and gave me the motivation! :D I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you, but I did my best. **

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 18: **

"Emergency! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The nurse called out while Kyoko was lying on the hospital bed, fighting for her life.

Ren looked at her with worry and panic evident on his face. He held one of Kyoko's hands. "Kyoko, please be safe. Please…." He kissed her hands, willing her to wake up with his kiss. He followed them until he was inside the emergency room.

"Sir, please leave the room. We have to start the operation soon." A nurse said. He ignored the nurse and continued to kiss her hand and whisper encouraging words to her, acting as if she can hear them. Nurse, having no other choice, asked the others to drag him outside. "Don't worry, sir. We'll do our best," she said, and went back inside.

Ren stared blankly at the door of the Operating Room, all the while standing in front of it.

After a few moments, he went to sit on one of the chairs, and buried his face in his hands. "Kyoko… Please… " he whispered.

'_Is this my punishment, God? Is this my punishment for being happy? Is that it? If so, why did it have to be Kyoko? Why did she have to be the one to suffer? Can't it just be me?'_ His face contorted in pain as he remembered Kyoko's earlier appearance. _'She was full of cuts and bruises. She must have felt so hurt. I won't even be surprised if she has some broken bones. The gun shots she received in her legs, the deep cut in her arms. It hurt to just look at them.' _He closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. _'That image would haunt me for the rest of my life…'_

He laughed bitterly, so full of hurt and pain that it hurt the ears to just hear. '_She even said sorry for not being able to protect herself, when I should have been the one to protect her. I should never have left her house until she went inside the restaurant. I should have never left her all alone.' _He punched the chair he's sitting on, that it caused the chair to crack a bit. _'Damn that bastard! I should have just killed him when I had the chance! He has NO RIGHT to do this to Kyoko! HOW DARE HE!'_

Loud footsteps can be heard approaching, but Ren paid no notice to them. He collapsed on the floor, looking down.

"REN!" a man's voice called out. "Is Kyoko-chan alright? What happened?"

Ren looked up and saw the face of his manager. "Yashiro-san." He said, his voice lifeless.

"Son, are you alright?" Kuu asked worriedly and tried to lift him from the floor. Kuu seated him on one of the chairs.

Ren smiled, a very painfully obvious, fake smile. "I'm not sure. I should've been the one inside right now, not Kyoko" He frowned, and his eyebrows creased. "I should've been the one to experience the pain. She doesn't deserve to be in this situation." His face was so full of pain, Julie had to sit next to him and hug him, all the while crying for the pain she knew existed in her son's heart.

"Don't worry, son; she'll be fine. Kyoko's a strong girl. Don't blame yourself. Kyoko will be upset if she finds out." Kuu said, trying to comfort Ren. Then, he looked at Julie, "Where's boss?"

"He's trying to prevent any of the press, and Maria, to find out about the situation, so he's taking care of things in his office," she replied, while she looked at Ren with concern. She glanced at the operating room, and then after a while she spoke, "Kuon?" she asked, a bit hesitant.

Ren looked at her, not caring if his mother had just called out his real name in front of Kanae and Yashiro.

Still a bit hesitant to ask, she always shot a glance at the OR. "How…how bad were her wounds? Will… will she be alright? What did the nurses/doctor say? She'll be fine, r-right? Nothing vital was injured… _right?_" her voice broke. Her eyes were so filled with concern for the actress; you wouldn't believe she hadn't met Kyoko in person yet.

While Ren felt this warm feeling spread throughout his body, he couldn't suppress the devastation he's been feeling. Not wanting his mother to worry more than she already has, he looked down, hiding his face from her view. "She had so many injuries. Every exposed skin was full of cuts, and bruises. The deepest cut was on both of her arms. It was…it was cut by a knife, and I reckon it was from the time she got kidnapped in front of Daruma-ya." He gulped, but forced himself to continue. "She had several gun shots on her legs and feet, and one shot close to the… heart." His face was now covered with his hair.

Julie gasped, and she hugged him tighter, trying to make him feel better, and seeking comfort from him at the same time. More tears fell from her eyes.

Ren still continued, though. "The doctor didn't say anything, he just told me that he'll do his best on the situation, but he couldn't assure me of anything." If you looked close enough, you'd notice that the actor's eyes had started to water.

Kanae, on the other hand, sat next to Julie, dazed at the information she just heard. She looked at the door of the OR, and whispered something, her face mixed with panic, worry, and the least bit of anger. "Kyoko, I won't forgive you if you leave like this. We're best friends, aren't we?" She looked down. "You have to fight… You just have to… You just… can't leave us like this…" Tears started to fall down her pale, white face.

/-/

Kyoko opened her eyes. _'Where am I?'_ She looked around. The place was full of light. It had fields of flowers. There were daises, roses, sun flowers, and many others. There was also a swing on the far right side of the field, made of wood, as well as a well-made gazebo. A stream was present from afar, and butterflies and birds were flying all around.

Kyoko smiled widely, and ran towards the swings. She popped herself on one of the seats, and started to push herself forward. She swung higher and higher and higher, and laughed her heart out. _'Well, wherever this is, I don't mind staying here for a while._' She smiled.

She swung forward and backwards, and then she pushed her head back, enjoying the feel of the wind on her face and hair; it felt so nice. She felt so light and free. She giggled. _'This feels so refreshing! It feels like I haven't done this in ages!'_

She continued to use the swing until she had enough of it. She stopped the swinging and looked around again. She walked to a rose bush, and crouched in front of it. She reached for the red rose, and pulled for it, but was cut by one of the thorns.

"Ouch!" her voice echoed. She place the wounded finger in her mouth and sucked the blood. She looked around.

Kyoko looked confused that her voice had echoed in such a big place. She looked around again, and then her eyes widened as she realized something. _'I am alone here, aren't I?_' she thought, just noticing that fact right now.

She slowly stood up and walked towards the gazebo, deep in thought. _'Now that I think about it, why am I here? And where should I be?'_ her forehead creased in concentration as another question popped into her head, '_Who am I?'_

She thought hard, despite her confusion and frustration with herself. _'How can I not remember anything? I must have people I love and people that love me back…. right?' _It scared her to think of that, yet she didn't know why. She had this weird feeling fluttering in her chest as if she felt unsure of her statement, then suddenly this conviction overcame the indecision, and she though, _'NO! someone loves me as much as or even more than I do him. Ren would always love me!'_ Her eyes widened in realization. _'Ren…'_

She thought for a while, and suddenly, everything came rushing back into her head. _'I was kidnapped by Miyabe, and he wanted to kill me just like what he did to my mother. Then, Ren came to save me, right after I was shot at the heart.'_ She looked down, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek. _'I must have worried them so much. They're people I love so much, and love me back, and yet I did nothing but worry them. I'm so useless.'_ More tears fell from her eyes, and then she made a determined face.

'_I shouldn't be weak at a time like this. I WILL go back to them. No matter what it takes.'_

With her decision made, she looked around again_. 'But how did I get here? As far as I know I was still in that room, lying on the floor.'_ She sat down on a seat in the gazebo. _'I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this.'_

Suddenly, she saw the flowers withering one by one, and disappearing afterwards. Kyoko was alarmed and she stood up, _'What's happening?'_ All the flowers darkened, and then disappeared, being eaten by the darkness slowly creeping from afar. It looked so dense and indefinable that Kyoko just stood there and stared, not comprehending. It was like a blob of nothingness swallowing everything that got in its way. A black hole. A hole that seems to get bigger and bigger – nothing seeming to be able to stop it.

It slowly approached the swing Kyoko sat on a while ago. Its foundation broke once the black hole's edges got close enough, and then disappeared as well. The blackness started creeping slowly towards Kyoko. The butterflies disappeared, as well as the birds, and the streams evaporated. She was surrounded, and didn't know what to do. The gazebo started breaking. Too soon, without Kyoko noticing, she was slowly being swallowed by the darkness. She felt pain spreading throughout her body.

Her limbs felt like they were about to break. Her heart started beating erratically. She felt this wild fir consuming her, eating her up. She didn't know what to do. She was panicking. She tried to move, but couldn't. She tried to open her now closed eyes – all to no avail. She tried to say something, move her mouth, but nothing came out. She started feeling dread. It felt like all hope was gone and she was going to give up.

'_Ren.'_ His image suddenly popped up. And then Moko-san, the president, her otou-san, the president, Maria, Yashiro-san, the Tasiho and the okami-san – everyone who stayed with her through the ups and downs. The people who loved her back and didn't push her away. The people who helped her grow as a person and taught her how to love. They helped her feel happiness despite her hardships. She borrowed strength from all of them.

'_I can't give up. Not now. Not ever. I won't leave them like this. I… I love them. I won't give up.'_

She ignored the pain she felt throughout her body. She fought the hindrance, and she was finally able to move her mouth, but her she heard cracking sounds, and felt her leg break.

She screamed – a scream full of pain and anguish.

/-/

Ren was still sitting near the OR, together with the others. All of them are getting more and more scared as the time of waiting increased. Ren blamed himself more or more like he couldn't help but blame himself. He didn't like what was happening to Kyoko. He'd do anything to be in her place right now. He wouldn't mind dying if it means Kyoko will be safe. Ren's tears threatened to fall.

Kuu was pacing in front of the door, also deeply worried and scared. No, not scared. He was petrified. He didn't know what to do. His son was slowly breaking to pieced. He was very much like what he was before Lory came for him. _'No, I don't want him to go back to the way he was before._' He stopped directly in front of the door, 'Kyoko_, please be okay. Please. You've changed him for the better. Don't leave him…don't leave us. We need you. We love you.'_ A single tear was finally able to escape from his right eye as he hurriedly wiped it off.

A doctor went out of the Operating room, and he was immediately ambushed by the people waiting for her, all asking about her condition.

"Will she be alright?" Ren asked, already standing in front of the doctor. Everyone held their breaths for the answer. Everyone was worried. Everyone didn't want anything to happen to the person who taught and gave them so much. Kyoko has become an important person in their lives. Everything won't be the same without her.

Noticing the tension in the air, the doctor cleared his throat, and answered, business-like. "Uh.. well." He suddenly felt like he was choking, with all of them looking so intensely at him. _'This is why it's so hard to handle cases like this. They're even celebrities. Well, at least I can ask for an autograph later. My daughter's a big fan, especially of Kyoko-san.' _He shook his head, and smiled softly.

He was surprised when Ren suddenly grabbed him by the collar, rage evident in his eyes. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Didn't you tell us you would do your best? Why did you let her… let her.. _leave us?_" His voice broke, and the tears he tried so hard to keep at bay finally fell. "how can you even _smile?" _His voice drifted to a whisper and he let go of the doctor, suddenly all of his strength leaving him.

The love of his life. The person who made him see his existence as important. The girl who made him laugh and made him break off his walls to protect himself. The girl who made him accept himself, thinking he can finally fall in love. The only girl who has the ability to make him laugh…The only girl who he loved this much… The only girl he will ever love… _'and now… she's….'_ He didn't even want to finish his thought as he buried his face in his hands, letting the tears fall freely now. If he felt devastated a while ago, it's nothing to what he felt now. It doesn't even compare to what he felt before he left America. He felt even more empty, if that was even possible. He wanted to rip oven his chest and just grab his heart, thinking its beating was for nothing if Kyoko's not there.

Julie ran to his son's crying, trying to hold up a strong front, but being unable to. Her son was breaking down again. He looked so broken – so empty – that she didn't know what to do. She silently cried with her son – crying for him and the girl she's grown to love.

Kanae just stared blankly at the doctor, not seeming to understand what the shaking of his head meant. _'Was he shaking his head because a fly was bothering him? Was it because of a bee? I don't understand…'_ Suddenly feeling something wet and warm traveling down her cheek, she looked up, looking for a leak in the ceiling. Not seeing anything, she touched her cheek and followed its path, realizing that it came from her eyes. "No," she whispered to herself. "It can't be possible. She's such a strong girl. She's strong. She won't leave like this… _She won't…"_

More tears travelled down her cheek, and she didn't stop them, overwhelmed by everything. She wanted to be angry. Angry at her, angry at that _**Miyabe**_ , angry at Ren for not protecting her, angry at the doctor, angry at everyone, angry at herself. She wanted to shout and stomp and act like a little child. She wanted to scream and break off their friendship for letting her feel like this. She didn't do any of these, though; she just wept, letting her anguish wash over herself. For the first time in years, she felt so incomplete. "How can you do this," she whispered to no one.

Kuu, on the other hand, witnessed his son breaking down, his wife coming after him as he fell on the floor. He himself was devastated by everything. Even Yashiro didn't stop the tears from falling from his face. Kuu watched everything, his heart breaking into pieces. He looked at the doctor with such a broken smile, anyone who saw it won't help but cry, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "How?" a tear fell. "How can this happen, doctor? She's a wonderful person that helped everyone. She's changed our lives for the better. How?" The doctor just stared at him, at a loss for words. "Do you know how much we've grown on her, doctor? She can't leave us like this… She just.." Kuu turned his back on the doctor, finally not being able to take it. He loved Kyoko almost as much as he loved Kuon. She was his son – so precious to him. _'Kyoko…'_

Suddenly a nurse appeared from emergency room, and was shocked by the sudden outburst of the patient's friends and relatives. She looked at the petrified doctor. Not knowing what happening, she carefully approached the doctor, making sure not to bump with the crying people. _'Why are they acting like this? Did they become hysterical or something?'_ Wanting to know what happened, she asked the doctor, confusion evident in her voice, "Uhm.. uh.. Doctor?" She shook the doctor. "Is everything alright?" The doctor blinked a few times, slowly getting over the shock of their reactions.

The nurse got even more confused. She pointed to the crying people, "Why are they crying? Have they become hysterical?" She glanced at the people again, "Uhm.. Does this show their happiness now that they know that Kyoko-san is alive and safe?"

Although she said that in such a quiet voice, her words sounded like trumpets to the others' ears – something like a wakeup call. They looked up and stared at her, hope and life once again visible in their eyes. The nurse didn't notice this and continued talking to the doctor, "Kyoko-san will wake up in a while, and I don't think it's good for her to wake up to this…. doctor?" Finally the doctor woke up from his stupor and regained his composure.

He coughed. "Ahem." He looked at them again and realized that they got the wrong message. He wanted to shake his head again, but stopped himself, _'These people are worried too much.' _"Ah, Yes. I'm sorry about that. I was thinking of something else when I shook my head; I didn't think you would take it as my answer." They all regained a bit of light. The doctor smiled and continued. "We were able to remove all the bullets from her body. The most fatal shot, was the one near her heart. Fortunately, it didn't hit any vital points. You probably thought there was no pulse," he said regarding Ren. "but it was only due to the momentary stopping of her hear. It was a relief that it only lasted for a moment, and you made it in time here, so her pulse went back just in time." He smiled at Ren, "good job, Tsuruga-san."

Smiles started to appear on everyone's faces, and though they're happy to hear the good news, they paid too much attention to the doctor's words that they didn't really care much about their appearance at the moment.

"She'd be able to accept visitors in a while. We suspect that she's still suffering from the pain, so I advise that you shouldn't move her too much. She's asleep right now." He glanced at the people around him, and smiled assuredly. "Don't worry, she'll be fine." He frowned. "For now, I think that all of you should.. clean yourselves up. You look very… tired. Your fans would be sad to see you like this. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The doctor smiled a last time, bowed, and walked away with the nurse, thanking the latter for having the guts to say whatever she said out loud. The nurse was still confused but nodded softly. The doctor chuckled to himself.

/-/

**Please review! :3**

**thexz**


	19. Chapter 19

**The Course of Nature**

**A/N: As an apology, I decided to upload a new chapter! :D I really do hope you'll continue to read my story. Oh and I've recently published this new story entitled, "As Long As We Are Together". Please read and review that one, too. I really appreciate all your support and reviews, though I apologize that I can't reply to all of them. Gomen. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Chapter 19:**

Kanae smiled softly after hearing the good news. _'Kyoko, I'm so glad you're safe.' _She dabbed at her tears, and looked hopefully, and albeit frustrated, at Kyoko's door. '_You've definitely grown on me.' _Then, she looked at where the doctor disappeared and thought with a frown and a bit of a glare, _'Darn him. I thought Kyoko was gone.'_

Yashiro sighed in relief. _'Kyoko-chan, I don't know what will happen if you ever disappeared. Actually I do, but I doubt I can handle that.'_ He glanced at Ren and then at Kuu and Julie. He smiled to himself, _'I'm very much happy that you're okay. That doctor sure knows how to break it to his patients.'_ He chuckled to himself, a bit tiredly.

Kuu and Julie hugged Ren, who at the moment didn't care at the suspicious looks being sent his way by Yashiro and Kanae. Right now, he was just so happy that Kyoko's alive. He is now resolved to tell Kyoko EVERYTHING about himself, no matter if she turns out to hate him. He doesn't care, but he will continue to love and protect her. _'I vow to myself that I won't allow anything like this to happen to Kyoko ever again.'_

Now that their worries are over, though, Kanae and Yashiro didn't let it pass, despite how tired they are, and wanted to talk to Ren about his identity. Both of them already knew that Kuu and Julie are his parents – that was obvious enough, seeing as they're still cuddling.

"Oi." Kanae said, as she walked towards Ren. "Does Kyoko know about this?" she asked as she gestured towards Ren's parents. Yashiro was also waiting for his answer.

Ren sighed. _'I knew this was coming.'_ He shook his head. "But I'm planning to tell her soon."

Kanae crossed her arms. "You better. I don't know the details, but I think she has enough rights to know about this," concern evident on her expression.

Yashiro, on the other hand, had sparkly eyes as he talked to Ren. "Still Ren, I can't believe they're your parents!" he looked at the two beautiful people, and bowed. "It's such an honor to meet you in person."

Both smiled. "Thank you for taking care of Kuon here for us." Kuu said.

"It's my pleasure." Yashiro smiled happily. "Oh, and don't worry. As it seems that this is a secret, I'll keep my mouth shut."

Kanae but in. "I'll keep quiet as well."

Ren smiled; now back to his usual self, though a bit haggard. "Arigatou."

/-/

Kyoko groaned. _'Ugh! My whole body hurts!' _She opened her eyes, and she saw a white ceiling. _'Huh? Where am I?... In a hospital?' _She looked beside her, and saw Ren sleeping soundly with his head in his arms.

Kyoko smiled. She lifted her hand, and winced. _'I didn't think I'd be hurt this much.'_ She sighed, and endured the pain as she played with Ren's hair.

"I'm sorry I worried you." She whispered – her voice a bit hoarse.

Ren seemed to wake up at this and slowly lifted his head to look at Kyoko's smiling face. He immediately smiled his heavenly smile, and gently held the hand that was playing with his hair, and kissed it. "I'm glad you're alright."

Kyoko blushed. "Thank you for saving me, and I-I-I'm really sorry for involving you with this." She looked down, guilty.

"It's not your fault, Kyoko. In fact, this should be my fault." He sighed, as he gently caressed her cheek. "I should have protected you. I'm sorry you had to be this hurt." His expression turned sad, pained, and guilty. He didn't like seeing Kyoko like this – in a hospital bed and hurt – and he most definitely won't allow her to be guilty about this.

Kyoko was surprised that Ren was taking the blame. "No! None of this is your fault! How could you even think that? It was my fault that I got hurt! If only I wasn't so careless!" She flinched as her throat hurt her, and her hand immediately touched it. She flinched again when she moved her injured hands.

"Kyoko? Are you alright?" Ren asked as he hovered over her, panicking and not knowing what to touch, afraid of hurting her more.

Kyoko slkowly and gently touched his arm and gestured for him to sit down. Ren followed, but continued to look worriedly at her, "Please don't force yourself to move, sweetheart. You just woke up. You should rest." He kissed her forehead.

Kyoko smiled sweetly, and stole a kiss from his cheek as he bent down from kissing her. He smiled heavenly at her.

"As for you blaming yourself for the accident…No, Kyoko." Ren's face was soft and caring. He slowly took her hand and massaged it, "It's not your fault."

"But-" She stopped when she saw Ren looking at her as if daring her to continue what she was saying. She thought for a moment, sighed, and then smiled. She placed her other hand on top of his. " Let's have it this way: it's not my fault, and it's not your fault. Deal?"

"Good enough." Ren grinned, and placed a kiss on Kyoko's lips.

"Ahem." Someone interrupted. Julie smiled, "I know you want Kyoko all to yourself, but can't you at least let us talk to her, Kuon?"

Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked at Ren, then Julie, and then Kuu, and then at Ren again. "Kuon?" she whispered.

Ren nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just… had some reasons I'll tell you more about later."

Kyoko just stared at Ren and processed this information. _'Ren is Kuon, and he is Otou-san's son. So that's why he looked so surprised when Otou-san called out 'Kuon' when I was with him one time and why he was at the airport the time Otou-san left for America._' Her eyes widened. _'And I was even so bold to call out 'otou-san' while he was there!'_ she blushed, and apologized to Ren.

"I'm so sorry, Ren! I didn't know! I was even so bold as to call him 'Otou-san' in front of you!" She bowed, and winced as her action hurt her more than she thought it would.

Ren assisted her to sit up straight. "Don't move so much; you're wounds haven't healed yet. And, actually it didn't upset me that you called him 'Otou-san'; it actually made me feel very happy to know that you think of my father as your father as well." He smiled, and chuckled as Kyoko blushed and realized what he was implying.

"Besides," Kuu interrupted. "It also made me feel happy." He smiled, and then he felt Julie elbow him. He cleared his throat. "Oh, and this is my wife, your okaa-san, Julie," he smiled.

Julie smiled brightly at Kyoko, and hugged her. Kyoko winced. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Kyoko! It's just that I'm so happy to finally meet you!" she smiled. "Kuu always talked about you, and we were so worried when we learned of your condition. Thank goodness you're alright now."

Kyoko shyly smiled, and apologized. "I'm so sorry to worry you, Julie-san."

Julie patted her head. "You can call me 'okaa-san'. I don't want you to call Kuu 'otou-san' without calling me 'okaa-san.'" She pouted slightly.

Kyoko laughed at the childish look Julie gave her. "Hai, okaa-san." She turned around and looked at Ren. "Anymore secrets?" she asked with a playful grin.

Ren looked down, guilty. "Actually, yes." Kuu and Julie looked at Ren, confused.

"And?" Kyoko urged.

Ren looked at her, and smiled. "Will you believe me if I told you that Corn is not really a fairy prince?" he said, a bit embarrassed.

Kyoko's eyes widened and she stopped. He looked at Ren or Kuon intently and analyzed his features. That jaw, those eyes, his build. He definitely grew a lot, but the soft look he gave her was the same. The only difference was the hair and eye colors. She imagined his hair to be blonde and his eyes to be green. There's no doubt. But why would he keep all of this from her? Why would he…lie to her? Did he not trust her? She was about to cry when she remembered all those times he comforted her.

Ever since they were young, he has done nothing but listen to her problems and help her through it all. He never left her side, unlike what she thought. He stayed and he loves her. He didn't use her, and just loved her for what and who she is. He never forgot about her, and there he is now – sitting beside her.

Kuon watched as different emotions played on her face: shock, sadness, confusion, thoughtfulness, realization, and finally, she gasped. "Corn?" she whispered, and tears fell down her face.

Ren nodded, getting more and more nervous by the second. He tried to keep a straight face, without betraying any emotion, but at the sight of Kyoko's tears he felt guilty. He kissed Kyoko's hand and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Kyoko. I'm really sorry." He pleaded with her, "I didn't want to hurt you; I didn't want your dreams of your fairy prince to be shattered. I love your smile and I didn't want you to cry and hate – "

He was stopped mid sentence when he felt Kyoko softly kiss his lips. He looked up, surprised, at his beloved.

Kyoko smiled a teary smile. "Oh, Corn!" she was about to hug Ren, when she flinched at the pain, and was forced to lie down again.

He didn't expect Kyoko to take it like that. Feeling overjoyed, he laughed. "Don't be too excited. You have to remember to not move too much." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad you're not mad that I kept it from you."

Kyoko smiled. "I'm sure you had your reasons, but I missed you so much Corn. I thought you left me for good." she sniffed, and she felt Ren squeeze her hand and smile at her. "But I'm really happy to know that you've been here all along, and that.. you.. you.. l-l-lo…" she blushed, and looked down, "love me" Ren smiled, and gently lifted her chin up to look at him.

"Kyoko, I would never have the strength to leave you. You're very precious to me." He said, every word so full of sincerity. "I love you."

Kyoko blushed under the Ren's umpteenth proclamation of his love, but then her face became serious. "But after I get out of this place, you're going to have to tell me every detail. Understand?"

Ren chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." This day couldn't get any better for Ren. First, Kyoko was alright. Then, she found out about his secrets, and she wasn't even mad!

Kuu interrupted their little moment. "Uh, Kuon, I think you should explain it to Julie as well. I think she feels out of place." He laughed.

Julie childishly hit Kuu's shoulder, as Ren and Kyoko also laughed.

/-/

_Tick-tock-tick-tock._ The clock was the only thing that can be heard in the room. It looked so dull and empty. The television in the corner of the room was turned on, but was on mute. It was an old action film, and it was low on quality. On the right side of the television, there was a small desk with a laptop, showing a picture of a girl in a yellow sundress on the desktop background.

In the middle of the room, a bed can be found. It had white sheets and soft-looking pillows. A woman was lying down on the bed, playing with someone's hair, smiling all the while. The man was sitting on a chair beside her bed, and he rested his head on his arms, and supported himself using the bed. He looked really tired, sleeping so soundly.

The woman continued to play with the man's hair, and was about to sleep herself when she heard a loud _BANG!_

The door to the hospital room was slammed open, and both Ren and Kyoko shot up, surprised.

"MOGAMI KYOKO! You little…" Kanae yelled angrily, while storming towards Kyoko's direction.

Kyoko looked, a bit surprised, at Kanae.

Kanae on the other hand directed her anger towards Ren. She pointed her finger at him. "YOU! Why didn't you tell me that Kyoko woke up?" Her anger started to increase. "You want her all to yourself, don't you? You wouldn't want other people to disturb the both of you, so you just neglect her best friend? Just like that? The best friend that was so worried about her?" Tears started to well up in her eyes – tears of frustration. "Don't you even know how I felt when I thought Kyoko wouldn't wake up?"

Ren was shocked at first, but recovered quickly. He was about to reply, when he was interrupted by Kyoko.

"Moko-san," she said gently, "thank you for worrying about me, and I'm so happy you think of me the same way I think of you." She smiled a very, very bright smile. It was still a bit goofy, but it still looked a lot more normal than the ones before.

Kanae realizing her slip, blushed slightly, and looked away for a bit. She turned her head back towards Kyoko's direction, though, when she heard her best friend's sad voice.

"I'm really sorry for worrying you. It was my fault – if only I knew how to take care of myself better." She looked down, sadly and guiltily.

Ren was about to protest when Kanae beat her to it. _'Why does it seem like I can't get a word in since Kotonami-san entered the room?'_ he sighed.

"It's not your fault, Kyoko." Kanae's voice was full of gentleness that Kyoko immediately looked at her face. Her face was painted with a smile full of her emotions.

Kyoko just stared in awe at the face Kanae was currently making.

"I'm just glad that you're safe." She turned serious again. "But don't ever worry me like that again." He turned towards Ren. "You. Make sure that she gets inside her house before you leave her. Actually, I think you should install some cameras around her house, just to make sure." Kanae's protective side was shown on her face.

Ren grinned. "Don't worry, Kotonami-san, I got it all under control. I know just what to do, and I'm guessing that my idea is going to be a lot safer for Kyoko."

Kanae raised her eyebrow, inquisitively, as Kyoko looked at Ren confusedly.

Ren's grin grew wider. "Kyoko, do you remember what you told me that night?" When Kyoko didn't respond, he continued, "the one where you promised that you'll think about?" Kyoko was about to protest when Ren cut her off. " No. No protests. This is for your safety. Besides, you told me you'd think about it." He smiled triumphantly when Kyoko couldn't think of a rebuff.

Moko was as confused as ever. "What are you two talking about?"

Ren looked at her. "Kotonami-san, I think it's better for Kyoko to stay in my apartment for a while." He smiled.

Moko looked outraged. "What are you talking about? Stay in your place?" her eyes flared. "How am I so sure you won't do anything to Kyoko? Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Moko-san!" Kyoko scolded. "Ren won't do anything to harm me – I assure you."

Kanae looked at her best friend, eyes wide. "How are you so sure?"

"I'm just sure. I trust him, and I hope that you can trust me in my judgments. Don't you?" Kyoko asked with those big, watery eyes.

'_Uh-oh. That look.'_ Both Ren and Kanae thought at the same time.

Kanae tried to stay firm on her ground, but Kyoko's look intensified, and she sighed in defeat. "Fine," she said grudgingly. "But if you make her cry even once, I'll kill you." She said to Ren.

Ren chuckled, _'I'm glad Kyoko has a friend that cares about her so much.'_.

"Thanks, Moko-san!" Kyoko smiled brightly, and hugged her. Kanae didn't protest and actually hugged her back with a little blush.

/-/

A man with a black suit and black shoes was standing on the rooftop of a 60 story building. The wind was blowing strongly on his face, and the sunset caused many beautiful colors to play on his hair and face.

His black shoes were also shining, though there was undeniably a lot of dirt on it. His formal, black slacks were a bit crumpled, as if the person wearing it had just woke up from sleep wearing that suit, and did not bother to iron it up. His top was one of a suit, with a white undershirt, and a plain, red tie. All of which were crumpled as well.

His face was, on the other hand, smiling maniacally. His mouth was formed into a big smile, showing off his yellowish, but aligned teeth. His lips were a bit bloody and had cuts, complemented by the big bruise he had on his cheek. His eyes were a bit bloodshot, and had big bags, looking as if he didn't sleep for a week.

His hair was black, and was also in disarray. It was pointed in all directions. He could've been a handsome man, if only he fixed himself up more.

He was laughing now, and was mumbling something to himself. He stepped forward, smiling wider. He stepped forward again. Then again. Again. Again.

He kept on advancing forward until he was at the edge of the building. He looked over the city, and continued to laugh, feeling and looking as if he was the happiest man on Earth. He stepped forward one last time.

He fell.

/-/

_**Weeks after the accident…**_

Kyoko was in her room in Daruma-ya. Her room was full of boxes and was in a mess. Everything was scattered on the floor – from clothes, to papers, to toiletries, and many more. Kyoko was rummaging through her closet, looking for other things to be brought.

She was finally packing her stuff, so she could move in with Ren. She placed her clothes in a few boxes. Then, she placed her important belongings in another couple of boxes, and the other in more boxes. She brought the boxes downstairs, and returned to her now empty room. It contained no more furniture, and it looked abandoned. Kyoko smiled wistfully at her room.

She sighed. "I guess I'll have to leave my past, and start a new journey. I'll miss this room." She smiled softly.

She turned around, and walked downstairs, as she heard the honking of the movers. The sound of her footsteps faded, until everything was left in silence.

On one wall of her room, there was still a picture of a person. Now, without any darts, and writings, left there in the room all alone, and forgotten. It looked as barren as a desert, and as old as the pyramids of Egypt. It was ripped – a bit crumpled – and abandoned.

It was Sho's poster.

**Please leave a review! :D**

**thexz09**


	20. Chapter 20

**The Course of Nature**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 20:**

Everyone was gathered in Ren's apartment, as Kyoko just finished moving her things, and furnishing her new bedroom (Ren's old guest room). Kyoko was now in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone (Kanae, Ren, Lory, Kuu, and Julie).

As she finished, she proceeded to the dining room and served everyone gracefully, even with her bad leg (because of the gunshot, it would take one more week for her leg to completely heal). Of course, everyone objected with having her doing such a task. Kyoko argued, though, that she wanted to get used to walking again after weeks of just lying in bed. Her argument, together with her oh so very convincing i-wanna-do-it-so-badly look, made the others give in, although reluctantly.

Setting their worries aside, everyone was awed by her grace, except for Ren, who was used to it. Even with such a handicap, it looked like it was nothing at all.

As everyone settled in and began to eat their food, Julie spoke up. "Kyoko, dear, are you alright now? Doesn't anything hurt? Are you sure it's okay to get out of the hospital so soon?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

Kyoko smiled reassuringly at her. "Kaa-san, don't worry. I'm fine now. Besides, I already stayed at the hospital for weeks. If I didn't get myself released soon, my bill would just go up." She said, and she laughed lightly.

Julie still looked worried. "Your bill doesn't matter, Kyoko. What matters most is your safety."

"Really, kaa-san, I'm fine. I promise that if anything hurts, I'll tell you right away." She smiled comfortingly at her new mother.

Julie unwillingly agreed, and said, "I just can't believe someone would kidnap you like that." She crossed her arms, and scowled. "If I get my hands on that devil… I'll…"

Kuu laid a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure the police will do something about it."

"… speaking about the police." Ren spoke. "Were they able to bring that bastard to prison?" he asked, anger and hatred leaking in his voice.

Lory cleared his throat and looked apologetic. "I'm sad to say that he was able to escape when we left as he called for some back up." Before Ren could show his outrage, he froze when he noticed Kyoko, who was sitting beside him become stiff.

Her eyes became wide with fear, as she recalled the things that she experienced during the time she was at his mercy. Her face lost its color and brightness, and it became pale. She felt cold all over her body, and she started to shake. Ren placed his big and warm hand on top of her hand placed on her lap, and smiled gently at her.

"Don't worry Kyoko. No matter what happens, I will never let that man get near you ever again. Even if it's the last thing I do. I will protect you."

Kyoko smiled in reply, most of her fear gone from Ren's reassurance. "Thank you, Ren." She said as she placed her other hand on top of Ren's and squeezed his hand.

Unlike Ren, though, Kanae didn't notice Kyoko's reaction, so she was the one who poured out her anger. "What do you mean he escaped? Those damn fools! Why did they let that kidnapper escape? They don't have the right to call themselves the police!"

"Calm down, Kotonami-san." Kuu said, sitting beside Kanae, and turned towards Lory. "But, they are trying to find him right now, right?"

Lory sighed, and shook his head. "Apparently, he has a lot of connections that can help him, so he probably used them to stop the police from hunting him down." He looked at Kyoko. "But don't worry, I'm doing everything in my power to find him."

"Find him? What do you mean find him?" Kuu asked. "Is he hiding somewhere?" his anger was now barely suppressed. Even if he was the one who was the most composed one in the room, he still couldn't contain all his anger towards the person who harmed his pseudo daughter.

"Yes. At least I think so. I have been trying to find him for days, but I still can't." He sighed.

Everything became silent as everyone pondered on what was said, and went back to eating their meal. They enjoyed themselves, as expected, with Kyoko's professional cooking and all. Everything was perfect to their tongues.

Then, as something came to mind, Lory turned towards Kyoko. "Mogami-kun, this has been bothering for a while. I'm sorry to have to ask you, but what was it that the kidnapper wanted from you?"

Everyone else, being intrigued by the question also turned towards Kyoko.

Kyoko looked thoughtful, all traces of being afraid gone, as Ren still continued to comfort her by massaging her hand. "He mentioned something about my mother and father. He said… that they… they ruined his life, and that he wanted to get revenge." She looked down.

"Do you know the whole story?" Ren asked, turning Kyoko to look directly at him.

Kyoko shook her head, and became teary-eyed. "I just know that he killed my mother. He told me as well that my mother was trying to protect me."

Ren looked confused, knowing it was weird for her mother to protect her, knowing that Kyoko was abandoned. "What do you mean protected you?"

Kyoko bowed her head, as tears started to fall. Kanae and everyone else on the table was dumbfounded, and confused, so they weren't able to react quickly. Ren, on the other hand, brought Kyoko to his lap, and wiped her tears with his thumb. "My mother w-was k-k-killed because of me. She w-w-wanted to hide my w-whereabouts from Miyabe, so she risked her life, so that I would be safe." She sobbed harder and buried her face in Ren's chest.

Kanae and Julie reacted now and went to Kyoko's side, and patted her on the back, all the while hushing her.

"I'm so cruel. All the while, I thought my mom detested me, but she was protecting me the whole time. I'm **despicable**." Kyoko said, with muffled sobs.

Ren kissed her on top of her head. "It's not your fault. You didn't know. I'm sure your mother did that on purpose."

"He's right, Kyoko. Get yourself together." Kanae said, trying her best to hide her worry.

Julie also kissed Kyoko on the cheek, and said, "Kyoko, don't worry, I'm sure your mother is watching over you right now."

Kyoko smiled thankfully at them.

Kuu cleared his throat. "Now, don't you think it's time to enjoy our meal? It's going to get cold, you know."

Lory, on the other hand, returned to his old self, smiling widely, with a booming voice. "Exactly! We wouldn't want Mogami-kun's food to go to waste, now would we?"

Kyoko chuckled and wiped the tears from her eyes. She went down from Ren's lap and returned to her own chair, keeping the contact between their hands.

The rest of the meal was conversed with small things like work, and job offers.

/-/

A small boy was walking happily in the hallways of LME. He was wearing a red, long-sleeved polo shirt, and black pants that complemented his form.

He was a lean boy, maybe as old as Maria, and has an average height. His hair was black with brown highlights, that was fixed in a spiky hairstyle. He was very handsome, and his face was brightened even more by his very wide smile.

His teeth were white and pearly, and his lips were thin and rosy. His cheeks were puffed, and his skin was cream-colored. His nose was in a great shape, and his eyes were a hazel brown, the light showing off its beautiful color. His eyebrows were a bit thick, and arched delicately.

He was happily, but still formally, walking when he heard someone call for him.

"Ryota-kun!" a female voice shouted.

He turned around, and saw Kyoko in jeans, and a plain blue shirt. She was waving at him, while walking, still limping a bit. On her side was Ren, trying to make sure she won't trip or fall.

Ryota's smile grew wider, and he waved back. "Kyoko nee-san!" He ran up the remaining distance between them, and he hugged his beloved sister.

If Ryota were any older, Ren would've been jealous, but seeing as he only saw Kyoko as a sister, he just smiled.

"Kyoko nee-san! I'm so happy you're alright!" Ryota said, hugging Kyoko tighter.

Kyoko returned the hug, and smiled. "Yes, well, that's what I'm here for." She crouched down, and looked at Ryota in the eyes. "Thank you for saving my life. You were the one that told them where I was, right?"

Ryota smiled. "It's no problem." He looked down. "I just didn't want anything to happen to you. I don't want you to be killed just like Saena kaa-san."

Kyoko smiled sadly at Ryota. "Still, I thank you." She kissed him on the cheek, and Ryota blushed.

'_What's that kiss for?_' Ren thought, a bit jealous of the boy. _'Don't push your luck, boy'_

Ryota now paid attention to Ren, as he noticed the dark aura surrounding him. "A-ano… Nee-san, what up with brother-in-law?"

Ren, hearing this, lost his dark aura, and now smiled genuinely at the boy. _'Brother-in-law, huh?'_ he smirked. "Nothing. There's nothing wrong, Ryota-kun. I also wanted to thank you. Without you, Kyoko would've…" he trailed off and scowled, not wanting to finish.

Kyoko on the other hand, was blushing. _'Brother-in-law? How could he jump to conclusions that fast? Is it that obvious?' _she thought.

When Ren noticed her, he chuckled. "Anyway. I hear that you've been adopted by the president, Ryota-kun?" he asked, trying to take Kyoko's mind off the matter.

Ryota smiled brightly. "Yep! I feel so happy! I finally have a family!"

Kyoko smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Ryota-kun." She said, as she stood up when Ren offered his hand to pull her up.

"Anyway, Kyoko, I think we need to go to the president's office. It sounds a bit urgent." Ren said as Kyoko nodded her approval.

"Ryota-kun. I guess we'll take our leave. Thank you again." Kyoko smiled.

"Hai, onee-san. Goodbye, and please take care. You too, brother-in-law." Ryota said.

Ren smiled at him and also said his goodbye, and both Ren and Kyoko walked towards the elevator.

While walking Kyoko spoke up. "Ren, what do you think the president will talk to us about?"

They both stepped inside the elevator and Ren pressed the floor to the office. "I don't know but I think it has something to do with that bastard, Miyabe." His face darkened slightly.

Kyoko reached for Ren's hand and squeezed it. Then, she sighed. "I hope everything is alright, though."

Ren squeezed her hand in return and smiled at her. "I'm sure it's nothing. I don't think we have to worry too much."

The couple walked to the secretary's desk. "Ah. The president's expecting the both of you. Please proceed." She smiled.

Ren knocked on the door, and a booming voice yelled, "Come in!"

When they went inside, the room was full of colorful decorations, but mostly with red. Every corner was decorated with red hearts, and flowers. In one corner of the room, though, there was a statue of cupid, and beside was a chocolate fountain, also decorated with roses.

The floor, on the other hand, was covered with a cream carpet, and red flower petals, and the room seemed to smell of a light, but sweet aroma. Lory was dressed in his usual extravagant costume, but this time, he was dressed as cupid, showing off his muscled chest.

Kyoko would've felt detested this if she came here a few weeks ago, but being able to finally regain the feeling of love, she learned to appreciate this. Even though she didn't admit it out loud, she was actually excited for the awaited Valentine's Day, since it was her first time celebrating this with Ren.

Lory then noticed Ren and Kyoko holding hands, so he smirked. "Hmmm… Ren, my boy, have you made any plans for this Saturday?" he grinned teasingly.

Ren, though, brushed the question off, disappointing Lory. "Why did you call us here?" he asked as both him and Kyoko walked towards his desk, and sat down opposite each other, finally letting go of each other's hand.

Lory's face now turned serious and business-like. "It's about MIyabe." He paused and noticed Kyoko's nervous look. "Don't worry, he won't bother you anymore Mogami-kun. Actually, he won't bother anyone anymore."

Ren looked confusedly at the president. "What do you mean? How can you be so sure? Did you capture him?"

Lory shook his head. "No. But I found something out." He paused, but continued when Ren raised his eyebrow questioningly. "You see, I received word that he committed suicide just a few days ago, thinking that Mogami-kun was already dead."

Kyoko shivered involuntarily. "I was told that he told a friend of his that his purpose in life was done, since he got his revenge. After that, he went to the rooftop of a 60 story building and jumped."

**Please please please review? :3 It would surely help me write more! Thank you! :D**

**thexz09**


	21. Chapter 21

**The Course of Nature**

**Chapter 21:**

In Ren's apartment, some clanging of pots and pans can be heard from the kitchen, together with shuffling of feet. Inside the kitchen, Kyoko was doing her magic. She was trying to make some honmei chocolates for none other than, her boyfriend, Tsuruga Ren.

Today was already Valentine's Day, so Kyoko woke up real early in order to buy some ingredients, and to make the chocolates. Aside from that, Kyoko wanted to surprise Ren, so she made sure to wake up when Ren's asleep, and he wouldn't start work in four hours. Today was the first time they'd be able to celebrate, so Kyoko wanted to make it memorable, since she is going to leave in a few weeks time.

She was also planning on asking Ren about his schedule, so she could make a nice dinner later. She wanted to spend as much time with Ren as she can, and make more memories that she can treasure.

Now, though, she was concentrated on making chocolates. Even though she thought last time that Ren wouldn't like sweets, she wanted to make everything traditional, so that everything would look real. She started with roasting the beans. While waiting for them, though, her mind wandered about the talk they had a few days ago about Miyabe Takao.

She sighed. _'I can't believe he'd actually commit suicide. Yeah, well, I know the bastard was a psycho, but I didn't actually think he'd do something like that. He was even happy about it? I guess my death would have been the best give in his lifetime.'_ She shivered. _'Well, as much as I disliked him, I didn't actually wish for him to die.'_

She looked a bit sad. _'I don't know what happened to you, and what the connection is between my parents, but I still feel a bit sorry for you. Having lost your parents, I empathize with the misery and sufferings you expereinced. It must've been hard on you, huh?' _she looked up the ceiling, _'Living must have been such a burden for you. I hope you're happier wherever you are.'_

She lowered the temperature in her roaster, as the beans started to crack. After roasting, she cracked the beans into nibs – with a hammer – and winnowed, whereby the husks (chaff) are removed. She did everything skillfully, and a bit absentmindedly, being very used to it in the years she's been doing it.

Then, she ground the nibs into a cocoa liquor, and conch and refined the chocolate. Then, she tempered the chocolates to ensure its shiny appearance. Finally, she molded the chocolates into some containers, and placed them in the refrigerator at the back part, knowing Ren wouldn't look that deep.

After that she started cleaning up the kitchen, fearing that she would get caught by Ren. All the while she was thinking. '_Still. I'm very thankful that I survived that. I really thought that I was going to die. Being shot by a gun, cut with a knife, targeted by darts…'_ Her face contorted with pain, and fear, as she vividly remembered the details of her experience. _'I thought that I would really leave this world… leaving Maria-chan… Yashiro-san… Otou-san… Moko-san… Taisho and Okami-san… and Ren.'_ At the last name, a tear fell on her cheeks. She finished washing the dishes, and cleaning up, so she just sat on a chair near a table.

'_I won't forget how I felt that time. I felt so helpless. I felt so much pain. I never want to be in that situation again.'_ More tears fell from her eyes, and she tried to wipe them off, knowing Ren should be up by now, but it just won't stop. _'Feeling useless in that situation, being unable to stand up, knowing that your death is nearing, and that you're days are numbered. It felt like I was so trapped and paralyzed, and there's nothing that I could ever do about it.'_

She continued to cry. _'I felt so scared then. All alone, without any support. I thought that I really was going to be alone forever after that. I would be trapped in darkness.'_ She tried to wipe her tears away, but she couldn't stop. She was now pouring out all the feelings she tried to lock inside her heart for days, in order not to worry the others. She felt so cold, not having anyone by her side. Ren was asleep and she didn't want to wake him up just because she was feeling like this.

'_Why can't I stop? I have to stop! Or else I would worry everyone again.'_ she sobbed harder. _'But I can't. I just can't get the image out of my head. A world without Ren and the others is just so painful!'_ She buried her face in her hands, and tried to muffle her sobs. _'I can't stop myself from imagining it.' _Thoughts of her being alone in a dark world filled her mind, and she can't seem to stop picturing it. It won't leave her in peace.

She suddenly felt alone. She started to crave for warmth – any kind of warmth to envelop her, anything to assure that she's not alone, and she will never be. Her face was still buried in her hands, so she didn't know that right at that moment Ren was starting to walk towards the kitchen after taking a shower, expecting to see Kyoko.

/-/

Ren woke up in the morning, feeling light and happy. He went to the shower and took a bath, and then he went back to his room to find suitable clothes for work.

'_Hmmm… I wonder what Kyoko is doing. I bet she's already up, cooking or something.'_ He smiled to himself and strode towards the kitchen. He was surprised when he heard muffled sobs.

'_Is that Kyoko?' _he thought, panicked. He quickly went to the kitchen, fearing that something might have happened to Kyoko, and sure enough, there was Kyoko, crying her eyes out, and not even noticing that Ren was there.

"Kyoko?" Ren asked. "What's wrong?" he was about to approach her, when Kyoko suddenly looked up with a tear-streaked face. Ren's heart broke just by looking at her face full of so much fear and pain. _'What could've caused this?'_

Kyoko immediately ran to Ren, and hugged him tight. "Ren!" she cried harder and buried her face in Ren's chest. "Ren…"

Ren was surprised by this action, but he hugged Kyoko back, trying to stop Kyoko's sobs. "What's wrong, Kyoko? Did something happen to you? Are you hurt?" he said, a bit panicked.

"I thought…(sob)… I… alone… (sob)… I…. stop… it… (sob)… gone… scared…" she continued on and on, but Ren couldn't understand anything except that she was scared.

Seeing as she couldn't talk properly yet, Ren decided to let it go and ask about it later. _'Right now, what she needs is for me to comfort her.'_

So they just stood there in the kitchen. Kyoko just poured out all her sadness, while Ren just hushed and comforted her.

When Kyoko finally calmed down, he carried her bridal style to the living room, and sat her on his lap. Still being a bit scared, Kyoko didn't protest, and instead just clung onto Ren.

"Now, Kyoko, what's the problem?" Ren asked, worry evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Kyoko said guiltily, and she looked down. "It's just that I was thinking about Miyabe, and then… I…I suddenly recalled all the things that he did to me, and about how I felt." Tears once again started to fall, and Ren hugged her closer to him.

"I felt so alone. I thought I would really die. That I'd leave everyone else and that… I'd leave _you_." Her voice broke and more tears fell. "It was full of so much darkness and nothingness. I couldn't stop myself from imagining it."

"Sssshhh… Kyoko, don't worry. It's alright. I'm here right now, aren't I? You're here. You're not alone, Kyoko." Ren said gently, while stroking her cheek. Ren knew that it was weird that Kyoko didn't feel even a bit traumatized at first. _'But I guess she tried to keep it to herself, just like what she usually does.'_

"And there's no need to be sorry, Kyoko. You can pour you heart out if you want to. I won't stop you. Don't lock up your feelings inside you. I'll be here for you." Ren's face contorted in pain, though, as he once again remembered Kyoko's condition when he found her.

"Arigatou." Kyoko smiled weakly at him, and hugged him tighter. "I love you, Ren."

"I love you, too." He kissed her head.

/-/

Ren was driving in his car with Yashiro on the passenger seat. Ren was still a bit worried about Kyoko. _'I wonder if she'll be alright. I shouldn't have left her in my apartment like that, and I shouldn't have allowed her to go to work, but that would just make things worse.' _He sighed, and Yashiro looked at him, surprised.

'_What she needs right now is to talk to other people and to assure herself that she's not alone. Still, I'm worried, but I really need to prepare for later. Besides, it might make her feel better.'_ He smiled a small smile.

Yashiro, on the other hand, misinterpreted it, and so he grinned slyly. "Ren, did Kyoko-chan already give you your chocolates?" he asked.

Ren just nodded to Yashiro, still a bit distracted.

Yashiro was a bit disappointed at his reaction, but was nonetheless happy for them. "You must be so happy, Ren! Where is it? Where? Did you eat it already? Was it delicious? I'm sure it was." Yashiro continued to blabber, until they arrived at the studio.

Ren sighed, "Yashiro-san. We're already here. I think you should stop that, unless you want people to think you're weird."

Yashiro stopped, and realizing Ren was right, just settled into a grin.

Ren sighed again. "Anyway, have you prepared about what I told you a few days ago?"

Yashiro smiled wider. "Of course, you can trust me about that. I've already asked Kotonami-san to assist us and she's more than willing to help."

Ren smiled, thinking of the smile of his beloved. "That's good. I want everything to be perfect for tonight."

/-/

Kyoko, on the other hand, was in the LoveMe room, working on some papers (she was told that she'd graduate the LoveMe section after she comes back from America). She felt much better now, since Ren was there for her the whole time. _'I'm so lucky to have him by my side.'_ She smiled.

'_Still. It's such a waste. I thought he'd be free tonight. I was even looking forward to cooking for him.'_ She sighed_. 'Ah, well. I guess I can do that tomorrow. He did say he was free tomorrow night. I'll just have to cook something more delicious.'_

"Mo! Kyoko! Aren't you listening?" Kanae's voice now registered in Kyoko's head.

"Huh? Moko-san? When did you get here?" Kyoko asked, confused.

Kanae sighed, "I got here a few minutes ago, but apparently, you didn't notice me and did not even hear what I said."

Kyoko looked at her best friend, a bit embarrassed. "Er, sorry, I was just…er… thinking about stuff."

"Must be about that boyfriend of yours." Moko mumbled quietly and quite grudgingly, but Kyoko didn't catch onto it. "Anyway, we have an assignment to do. It was given by the president just now."

"What assignment? Don't tell me we go around LME declaring love or something, do we?" Kyoko asked, a bit scared at the idea.

Kanae looked horrified as she imagined herself doing that. "No. We're doing something else. Actually, I'm going to do something, and you're just going to go somewhere and have fun."

"When?" Kyoko asked.

"Later. Tonight. Do you have any plans?" Kanae asked.

Kyoko shook her head. "No. I'm free tonight. What is the assignment about?"

'_Of course you are'_ Kanae grinned inwardly. "Well, the president told me that you were supposed to go to a ball tonight and I'm going to have to dress you up."

Kyoko's eyes grew wide and sparkly. "A ball? Really?"

Kanae smirked. "Yep."

Kyoko smiled brightly, but then something popped in her head. _'It would've been better if Ren can go with me.' _Suddenly, the brightness left her, and then she sighed.

Her best friend, on the other hand, just kept on smirking at her.

/-/

Kyoko and Kanae were now in Kyoko and Ren's apartment, trying to doll Kyoko up. Kanae was the one who kept on moving around the room, while Kyoko just stood still, wearing a thick blindfold.

"Why do I have to wear a blindfold, again?" Kyoko asked, confused.

Kanae sighed, "I told you. The president wanted to keep the location secret, so he's asking everyone going to wear blindfolds."

"That's just weird." Kyoko said.

"Well, you know the president." Kanae said.

After dressing Kyoko up (Kyoko didn't see what she wore, for she was blindfolded the whole time), they went to a car, where Yashiro was waiting for them. Yashiro and Kanae just smiled conspiratorially at each other, and then asked the driver to go to a certain location.

When they arrived in their destination, they guided Kyoko towards a certain path.

Even though blindfolded, Kyoko can tell that she was taken in a forest. She could hear the rustling of leaves, the cold breeze, the humming birds, and the magical feeling_. 'I wonder why the forest? Well, I guess it__** IS**__ the president we're talking about. Might as well cooperate.'_

Kanae and Yashiro stopped suddenly and let go of Kyoko's arms. "Can I take off my blindfold now?" Kyoko asked.

Kanae replied, "No. But after you count to ten, you can take it off."

Both Kanae and Yashiro rushed off, and went back to the car and drove away as soon as Kyoko said, "one."

She continued to count, though, oblivious that she was now all alone in the forest. "Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten…"

Finally, she took off her blindfold, and adjusted her eyes to her surroundings. She gasped.

**Please reviewww! :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**The Course of Nature**

**Chapter 22:**

Finally, she took off her blindfold, and adjusted her eyes to her surroundings. She gasped. She was now in the middle of the forest, in front of a path decorated with rose petals, leading to somewhere deeper in the forest. The path was decorated on the sides with ribbons and lanterns, lighting up the path in this dark place. She was feeling mad at the back of her mind, but the feeling she was currently having was so overwhelming, she forgot all about it.

She admired the decorations for a while, imagining fairies and pixies flying around and beckoning her to follow them towards the end of the path to a very beautiful place. Kyoko, of course, followed them, all the while admiring their beautiful appearances, but when she encountered a lake, she stopped.

She saw her reflection on the clear water. She was wearing a simple, strapless, white dress that had a white silk cloth underneath, and a see-through material covering it in many layers, creating a very attractive design. The top part of the dress was artfully designed with a piece of black cloth, tied around the breast part. The dress reached 4 inches above the knee, showing her long and flawless legs.

Her ivory skin, as well as her very nice figure, complemented the dress well, which was overall simple, but elegant, and very fitting for Kyoko. Her hair, on the other hand, was tied up into a bun, that had a few strands flowing at the sides of her face. What Kyoko became so happy about, though, was the small tiara that decorated the top of the bun of her hair. _'I feel like a princess!'_

Her make-up was simple, and Kyoko was very happy about it, knowing that it was Kanae that did it for her. It complemented her features well. Her eyes were lined with a shiny bronze, accentuating her golden eyes. Her cheeks were tinted pink, and her lips a slightly darker one. Her purse was small, and is carried by hand. It was decorated with sequins that reflected the light that surrounded her.

After getting over her reflection on the water, she continued to follow her fairy friends, but this time, getting more distracted. _'Why am I here for? Is this really a party the president wanted me to go to?'_ As if the Gods heard her question, she finally reached the end of the path into a clearing.

In the middle, there was a small round table for two, covered with a white cloth at the bottom, and a red one on top. It was lighted by a candle, creating a very romantic scene. Adding to that were the people playing the violin and the piano. What made it the best, though, was not the ambiance or the food, or the location – it was the man standing in front of Kyoko.

He was carrying a bouquet of big, red roses that had a card that said, "Happy Valentine's Day, Kyoko, my love." At first, she was surprised, and her eyes grew wide, but they eventually went back to its original size, and then she smiled brightly and tears of happiness rolled down her doll-like face.

She walked slowly towards him, and she took the flowers he offered her. Then, with tears still flowing down her cheeks, she said with a very bright smile, "Thank you, Ren. This is the first time anyone's ever done something like this for me."

Ren on the other hand, after being mesmerized by Kyoko's beauty, smiled at her and hugged her. "Well, then I guess you'd have to get used to it."

Kyoko used one of her arms to hold the flowers in place, and the other to return the hug. She sighed contentedly.

After staying that way for some time, Ren pulled away from the hug, and grinned. "As much as I'd like to stay that way for the rest of the night, the food's going to get cold."

Kyoko blushed and giggled, following him towards the table. Ren pulled a seat for her, and then went to his own seat. They started to eat, all the while watching each other, with background music, making the atmosphere more romantic.

"You know," Kyoko started, "I was really surprised."

Ren grinned, "Yup. I noticed that." He chuckled, when Kyoko playfully smacked his arms.

"Anyway, I thought that we would really just have dinner tomorrow night at your apartment, since you told me you were busy today."

Ren smiled gently at her. "You know I would always put you at my top priority. Why in the world would I accept jobs at night in our first Valentine's Day together?"

Kyoko grinned. "Well, you ARE a workaholic, and considering the time when you still worked even if you were sick, I can say that it's very probable that you'd do that."

Ren chuckled. "Not when it comes to you. You always seem to make me do things I don't usually do. I guess that just shows how special you are, and I will make sure to treasure you for the rest of my life." He looked into her eyes deeply and smiled. He meant every word he said.

Kyoko blushed a bit, and went back to eating the rest of her food, not knowing what to say.

After they finished their meal, Ren stood up, and went beside Kyoko's chair. He offered his hand to Kyoko, and said, "May I have a dance?"

Kyoko smiled, and gladly accepted his hand, "Of course."

Kyoko stood up, and Ren guided them both in a big space beside the table and near the pianist and violinists.

They just danced slowly to the music, not noticing anything or anyone but themselves, thinking that they were the only people in the world, and that nothing else mattered, as long as they were together.

Everything was forgotten. Work was forgotten. The kidnapper was forgotten. Problems were forgotten. They just happily danced, forgetting everything except each other's presence.

After a while, Ren spoke softly, "Do you know why I chose this place?"

Kyoko laid her head on Ren's chest and closed her eyes, then replied, "Because we first met in the forest?"

Ren smiled, and placed his head, on top of Kyoko's. "Yes, and I'd like some privacy for us. If the press sees us, who knows what will happen."

Kyoko giggled. "Yeah, well I guess you have a point." She sighed. "And I like it better this way. It feels like we're the only people in the world."

"Well, in my eyes, you are the only woman in the world, Kyoko." Ren said.

Kyoko slowly lifted her head from Ren's chest, smiled, and stared lovingly into his eyes. "You're the only man, in my world, too."

After some silence, and more swaying to the music, Ren said, full of love, warmth, and sincerity, with eyes of much intensity, "I love you, Kyoko."

Kyoko smiled, heavenly "I love you, too, Ren." If only they weren't so absorbed in each other, they would've hear the small slips the violinists and pianist made when they saw the couple. They were very much touched by the scene, and the girl pianist was sniffing.

Ren smiled back at her, and slowly bent down his face. He stopped when his lips were just a few centimeters from hers, wanting to cherish the moment. He can feel Kyoko's breath, her slim waist, and her beating heart. The heart that now belonged to him. The heart that he will treasure more than his life. The heart he will never allow someone else to take.

Kyoko, on the other hand, wasn't as patient as him, and started to crave for his lips. Without hesitating, she closed the remaining distance, and stood on her tiptoes, to claim Ren's lips.

Ren smiled in the kiss, and wrapped his arms tighter around Kyoko's waist. Kyoko, on the other hand, tightened her hold on Ren's neck. The kiss was so full of emotion, that both kept on wanting more. They took time memorizing the feeling of each other's lips. It wasn't full of need or desire. No. It was full of love and care – just what their relationship is like. Kyoko wasn't afraid to kiss Ren, now – not after all that she'd been through. She now knows that Ren would never betray her, and she knows that she can happily give her whole heart to him.

They loved the feel of the other's soft and warm lips. The movement was slow and sure. It gave comfort and the promise of forever.

Both reluctantly pulled away from each other, and looked into each other's eyes, trying to communicate the depth of their love to each other.

/-/

After finishing their dinner, and dancing the night away, they decided to go back home. Both went to Ren's car, after walking some distance from the clearing, enjoying the breeze, while holding each other's hand.

Ren went to the driver's side of the car, and Kyoko on the seat beside Ren. Not wanting to loose contact, they continued to hold each other's hands.

"Ren?"

Ren glanced at Kyoko. "Hmm?"

"Thank you." Kyoko smiled beatifically at him. "This made me really happy."

Ren smiled his own heavenly smile in return. "It's no problem, sweetheart. Besides, I think it's nothing compared to the delicious chocolates you gave me this morning."

Kyoko blushed and looked down. "It's not that hard to make."

Ren chuckled. "Still, it made me very happy." He stopped and glanced once more in Kyoko's face. "I love you Kyoko - more than anything in the world. You're the best thing that happened in my life. My whole heart belongs to you. Please remember that." He squeezed her hand

Kyoko smiled, not blushing this time, and looked his way with intense eyes. "I know, Ren. I definitely feel the same way. You know I have been hurt in the past, but I got over that because of you. You taught me how to love you, and trust you. You've always been the fairy prince that saved me – ever since we were kids. I love you."

Kyoko's words were so full of emotion that Ren had trouble to keep his attention on the road. He caressed her cheek with his hand, and Kyoko leaned into it.

**Meanwhile in Ren's apartment's parking lot…**

"What's taking them so long?" A blond guy said out loud, annoyance evident in his voice.

He was wearing a brown leather jacket, with a purple shirt inside, hugging his lean body. His pants were black, also made of leather that was held into place with his brown belt. His blond hair was shining in the light from the parking area, making his hair seem like gold.

He was leaning on the hood of his sports car, while crossing his arms in front of him, emanating an aura of annoyance. "She told me he was living here, but what in the world is taking him so long to arrive in his damn apartment? This is getting really annoying."

As if on cue, a silver sports car rounded a curb and appeared in his sight. The car parked beside his car. The engine was turned off, and the man, Tsuruga Ren, went outside, and hurriedly went to the passenger's seat to open the door for his girlfriend.

Kyoko smiled up at him, thanked him, and got out of the car. The couple walked holding hands, all the while looking lovingly into each other's eyes, towards the entrance of the apartment, when the blond guy stopped them.

"Oi! I've been waiting here for who knows how long, and you don't even notice me?" He said arrogantly. He was **VERY** annoyed now. He saw Kyoko and Ren **HOLDING HANDS**, seemingly to have gone home from a date on **VALENTINE'S DAY**. Now, they are going **HOME TOGETHER**, as they seem to live in the **SAME APARTMENT**.

So, as a result, he is fuming with rage and anger.

Kyoko and Ren turned to look at the person with the oh-so-familiar voice. The blond-haired guy smirked, knowing that Kyoko would cause a scene and explode because of him. _'Heh. I know that I can still affect her the way I usually do. Any minute now….'_

"Sho, what are you doing here?" Kyoko said in a calm and innocently curious voice. No trace of anger, rage, or violence. It was as if she was just talking to an acquaintance.

Both Ren and Sho looked at Kyoko, surprised that she was able to converse calmly with her enemy. _'Did she just talk to me normally? Do I not have any effect over her anymore?_' "What the heck is wrong with you?" Sho shouted, annoyed and frustrated.

Kyoko cocked her head to the side. "Huh? What are you talking about, Sho?"

Sho clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, while Ren just stared at Kyoko, dumbfounded. "Why aren't you screaming or shouting at me, or declaring your revenge like you usually do? Did you bump your head in a post or something?"

Kyoko sighed. "Do you want me to shout at you?"

Sho gritted his teeth, and replied, "No."

Ren, now recovered from the shock, decided to speak up, "Fuwa-san, if you are just going to complain about how Kyoko didn't shout at you, I think it's best for us to just go upstairs and sleep. We are very tired right now, and we want to rest. We have an early day tomorrow." He said, with the smallest hint of annoyance leaking through his voice. The couple turned around to leave.

Sho calmed himself down, and tried to look cool and collected, but inside he was still consumed with anger. "Mother called me."

At this, Kyoko turned around and looked at him with wide eyes.

**Please review! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**The Course of Nature**

**Chapter 23:**

"Mother called me."

At this, Kyoko turned around and looked at him with wide eyes. "M-M-Mai-san did?"

Sho inwardly smiled. _'Heh. I'll win this round, Tsuruga.'_ "Yes. It's about your mother."

Kyoko's eyes couldn't grow any wider. "M-m-mother?" she stuttered. She was now shaking a bit, so Ren looked worriedly at her and squeezed her hand tighter, and let go of her hand to be placed on her waist, pulling her closer to him, letting her know that he's here for her.

Sho smirked, but glared at Ren inwardly at the contact. "Yes. It sounded important."

"W-what a-about m-m-mother?" she whispered, but it was enough for Sho to hear.

Sho's smirk grew wider. "Heh. You really want to know, don't you? Well, what if I don't want to tell you?"

Ren became angry. '_Is he just playing with her? Doesn't he know that this is hurting Kyoko so much?'_ "Just spit it out, Fuwa." He said, not bothering to wear his façade.

Sho glared at him. "This is none of your business."

Ren glared back. "Anything about Kyoko is my business."

They glared at each other until Kyoko spoke softly. "What do you want, Sho?"

Ren looked at Kyoko, with worried eyes, while Sho looked triumphant. "Easy. Just meet up with me tomorrow at 3 in the afternoon at the Park near here."

Ren looked suspiciously at Sho. "For what?"

"For a date." He said simply. The couple stared at Sho, dumbfounded.

"S-Sho, what are you talking about? Ren is my **boyfriend**. Why would I go on a date with you?" Kyoko asked, a bit panicked at the prospect of going on a date with Sho.

Even though he knew it, it still stung Sho to hear it come directly from Kyoko's mouth. _'I didn't expect a lot of development when I left for a world tour. Shoko just told me the news this morning, right after I received the phone call from Okaa-san.'_ "So what? It's just a date."

"Look, here, Fuwa. If the press finds out about this, it will ruin Kyoko's reputation. They'll think that she's two-timing. It will ruin her career. Do you even understand this?" Ren said, angry.

"I know that! I'm not stupid, you know! I'm just planning to take her to a nice place. Besides, I'll make sure to wear a disguise, and things won't be too chaotic, since the press doesn't know I just came back to Japan."

"It's not about you being noticed. It's about Kyoko. Her fans will surely recognize her." Ren said, annoyed with the ego of this rock star.

"Then she also wears a disguise. Happy?" he said, mockingly.

"No. You still have no right to take her to a date." Ren said, determined not to let Kyoko near this pest without him by her side.

Kyoko looked at Ren and waited until he looked at her. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, her eyes conveying all her feelings. "It's okay. I'll go," Kyoko said.

Sho turned to look at her, rage boiling just beneath the surface when he saw the kiss. He tried to control himself, _'No worries. I'll have her all to myself tomorrow, and she'll come back in my arms soon enough.'_

Kyoko took in a deep breath, "Sho, I'll go with you tomorrow, but if even one person recognizes me or you, I'll go straight home. Also, it's only from 3pm to 7pm. I still have jobs to finish tomorrow. And lastly, you have to promise to tell me what Mai-san said about my mother."

"Kyoko, what are you saying?" Ren said, panicking. "You can't just go with this bastard. You shouldn't trust him that easily."

Sho looked smug. "Don't worry, Tsuruga. I will keep my promise. I will definitely tell her."

Kyoko just nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll take our leave." Kyoko turned around and led Ren to the entrance, leaving Sho alone in the parking lot.

When the couple was out of sight, the smile dropped from his face, and he uncrossed his arms. He reached for something in his pocket – a box of chocolates.

He looked sadly at them. He sighed, "I thought you'd still be waiting for me when I come back." He paused, "but I guess I was wrong."

He placed them back in his pocket and looked determined. "But, I won't give up. I would certainly not hand you over to that Tsuruga. I will get you back, Kyoko. No matter what it would take. I came back to Japan to do just that."

With that said, he went to his car, and started the engine, and drove away to go home, thoughts of winning Kyoko back filling his mind.

/-/

Kyoko and Ren reached the apartment without a word. Neither said anything. Kyoko was worriedly thinking about her mother, and Ren was thinking about his anger towards Fuwa Sho.

Kyoko went straight to her bedroom in order to take a shower and change. Ren did the same. After fixing themselves up, they both went to the kitchen – Kyoko for a hot milk, and Ren for some liquor.

When Kyoko saw Ren, though, she stopped him. "What are you drinking?" she said sternly.

Ren sighed and just surrendered the liquor to Kyoko, who in turn placed it in a cabinet. She then placed a glass of milk in front of Ren. "That's healthier. Drink it."

Ren sighed again, and just drank the milk. Kyoko, finally noticing that something was wrong, sat in front of him at the small table. She looked worriedly at him, and touched his cheek with her palm. "What's wrong?" she asked, gently.

"Why did you agree?" he asked, with a panicked voice.

Kyoko was taken aback by his tone, and confusedly asked, "Agree with what?"

"With going on a date with that scheming **bastard**." He said, a bit of acid dripping on his voice at the word **bastard**.

Kyoko looked at him for a while before she answered. "Ren. I really want to know what Mai-san wanted to tell me. I think it's important."

Ren looked at her directly. "But what about you? He might do something to you."

Kyoko smiled at him. "Don't worry, Ren. I can protect myself. I won't let him do anything to me. I promise."

"Really?" Ren asked.

"Really." Kyoko said, and reached forward at the table to peck Ren on the lips.

Ren, though, was still worried about something, and Kyoko, being the person that she is, noticed. She sighed, "What else is wrong?"

Ren smiled a gentlemanly smile. "What are you talking about, Kyoko?"

'_Uh-oh. I haven't seen that smile for a while.'_ She was about to cringe but decided to take on a determined expression, instead. _'Nuh-uh. I'm not going to back down.'_ "Tsuruga-san." Ren flinched, as Kyoko said it in a dangerous tone. "Don't you dare lie to me." She scowled, and her Mio-like aura suddenly surrounded her.

Ren raised both of his hands in front of him in defeat. "Alright. Don't bring Mio into this."

Kyoko relaxed, and said, "Now, what's the problem?"

Ren looked down, and his bangs covered his eyes, as he said, "Do you still hate Sho?"

Kyoko was surprised at his question, but nonetheless answered it truthfully, "No. Not anymore. I got over that after I got kidnapped."

"Is that so…" Ren said. "Then…."

"What?" Kyoko said, she didn't catch on to what Ren said.

"Do you… Do you love him?" Ren said, his hair still covering his eyes.

Kyoko just stared at Ren, shocked. She was dumbfounded. _'Why in the world would Ren ask that? Why would I love him, when I have Ren right here?'_ She processed everything for a while, not saying a word, until everything clicked into place. _'No, that's not possible. It's just not. For THE TSURUGA REN to feel that way is just….'_

"Ren, are you jealous?" she asked incredulously.

Ren just looked away from her. "Just answer my question, Kyoko."

Kyoko couldn't stop the smile that was forming on her face. Her acting skills couldn't help her much this time. She stood up, and walked towards Ren. She turned his face, so that he can look at Kyoko in the eyes.

"Ren, I **love **you. I love **only you**. No one else. I admit that I loved Sho in the past, but that was just it. I already forgot about him. I got over my hatred for him. Nothing more. You changed all that when I met you. He's just a past that keeps on visiting me." Kyoko smiled at Ren. "I promise that I will never love anyone else but you. You're my world now."

Ren processed her words for a while, and then smiled the most heavenly smile Kyoko has ever seen. _'It's a good thing my demons have already disappeared, or they might die in this holy light.' _Kyoko thought.

"I also promise to not love anyone else but you." Ren said, still smiling, and kissed her lips one more time.

**Sorry for the short chapter, but yeah.. ;D**

**Please please help me get motivated by leaving a review! :D**


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